News and Events

The Commission on Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Manila will hold a film festival on World Communications Day.

Faith Lens 2 is a follow-up of last year’s "Faith Lens" organized by the Social Communications Ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila. The festival aims to utilize the technical skills and develop the creativity of the social communications ministers using a professional or cellular phone camera. It also promotes Catholic faith and values in one and a half minutes.

San Roque de Manila Parish is Faith Lens 2018 Best Video.

The festival is open to all the members of the Social Communications Ministry of parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila and other dioceses.

Faith Lens 2 is a one and a half minutes video making contest that dwells on the theme for the Year of the Youth, "Filipino Youth in Mission: Beloved, Gifted, Empowered."

The participating parishes are allowed to make use of any kind of production equipment, be it mobile phone, DSLR, or any type of video camera and any kind of editing software to produce entries. Predominant use of visuals and/or image and minimal dialogue are highly encouraged.

All participants are also requested to submit a poster promoting the video entry.

All entries will be judged based on the following criteria: Technical Aspect (25%), Relevance to the theme (25%), Concept (25%), and Doctrinal Soundness / Faith impact (25%), for a total of 100%.

There will be three proclaimed winners: Best Video, First Runner-Up, and Second Runner-Up for Best Video. Special Awards will also be given to the following: Best in Technical Concept, Best Relevance to the Theme, Best in Concept, Best in Doctrinal Soundness, and Best Poster Design.

For the Best Poster Design award, promotional posters of video entries will be uploaded on May 23, 2019 on the Facebook Page of the Archdiocese of Manila - Office of Communications. Tallying of valid reactions garnered only on the posts found on the said Facebook Page will end on May 28, 2019, at 3:00 p.m.

The announcement of winners will be on June 1, 2019, in line with the celebration of World Communications Day, held annually on the Sunday before Pentecost, falling this year on June 2, 2019. The winning film entries will also be shown at the awarding ceremony to be held at the Sr. Caridad Barrion Hall, St. Scholastica’s College in Malate, Manila, from 1 to 5 in the afternoon.

In his message for the World Communications Day, His Holiness Pope Francis urged the faithful to become active in proclaiming the Word of God through the importance of communication by connecting, interacting, and encountering one another.

“Ever since the internet first became available, the Church has always sought to promote its use in the service of the encounter between persons, and of solidarity among all. With this Message I would like to invite you once again to reflect on the foundation and importance of our being-in-relation and to rediscover, in the vast array of challenges of the current communications context, the desire of the human person who does not want to be left isolated and alone,” Pope Francis said. (Jheng M. Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Cardinal Tagle and Fr. Malicdem were with other Filipino bishops to report to the Pope the status of their dioceses.

Also during the Ad Limina Visit, Pope Francis received a small replica of “La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc” as a gift from Bishop Renato Mayugba of Laoag, according to CBCPNews.

Bishop Mayugba personally thanked the pope for the two privileges he granted recently his diocese: the pontifical coronation of “La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc” and the elevation of the church into a Minor Basilica. (Jheng M. Prado / RCAM-AOC)

Radio Veritas, the Catholic radio station of the Archdiocese of Manila will hold a Festival of Saints from May 15-30, 2019, at the Our Lady of Veritas Chapel from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

The Festival of Saints is a way to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in celebration of the Flores of May or Flores de Mayo. The festival will showcase the relics of known saints like Saint Simon Stock and Saint Bernardine of Siena.

Saint Simon Stock, who was a Prior in a group of Carmelites founded many communities across Europe especially in University towns such as Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, and Bologna. Saint Stock was visited by the Virgin Mary bearing the message, "Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of thy Order; it is the special sign of my favor, which I have obtained for thee and for thy children of Mount Carmel. He who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger, and a pledge of special peace and protection."

Saint Bernardine of Siena was an ordained priest during the 15th century was known for his devotion in caring for the people, especially the sick. During the 1400s Bernardine, accompanied by a group of men, helped ill people in Siena from a plague. He then committed to studying and fasting to discover God’s plans for him to accomplish.

These mentioned are only among the several saints whose relics have been placed at the chapel of Radio Veritas for the public to see. These relics are the remaining remnants and proof of existence of the holy people that have stood bearing the standard of God for the people.

For inquiries and other information about the Festival of Saints, please call Radio Veritas at (632) 925-7932 to 39 local 129 or visit their website at https://www.veritas846.ph/. You may also visit them at Veritas Tower 162 West Avenue cor. EDSA, Quezon City. (Radio Veritas/RCAM-AOC)

The Church in Palawan hits its target of planting 10,000 trees at the Mount Mantalingahan Protected Landscape, in Southern Palawan.

According to the Bishop Socrates Mesiona of the Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, based on initial assessment as of May this year, they have already planted more than 10,000 trees in different project sites in Brookes Point, Palawan.

“It is a continual planting program among the Pala’wans, our partner indigenous peoples, since August last year,” explained the prelate.

Photo Credit: CBCPNews

A response to Pope Francis’ Laudato Si, the project of the vicariate to plant 10,000 trees in a year is being implemented through the help of the Augustinian Missionaries of the Philippines-Indigenous Peoples Mission (AMP-IM).

Sr. Mae Juanitas of AMP-IM explained some trees that did not survive because of the weather and other factors are always replaced to ensure that the target is really achieved.

Beto Calman, one of the IP leaders, said the project of the Church is a “big help.”

“It helps us to make sure that our culture is preserved because taking care of the environment is part of our Pala’wans’ culture,” he explained in Filipino.

The Church is still set to validate the actual number of surviving trees, said Mesiona. (Katya A. Santos /Puerto Princesa City)

Radio Veritas 846 was awarded as Best AM Station in the 17th Gawad Tanglaw ng Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa.

Rev. Fr. Bong Bonggayan, Assistant to the President of Radio Veritas received the recognition held at the newly inaugurated baklad-inspired Museo ng Muntinlupa on May 8.

Gawad Tanglaw(Tagapuring mga Akademisyan ng Aninong Gumagala) is an award giving body that recognizes members of the media who made significant contributions not just through excellence in art but also in raising awareness on national issues.

Radio veritas 846, a church run radio is under the Archdiocese of Manila headed by Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual as president.

Based on the Kantar survey, Radio Veritas is fourth in AM radio stations being heard by the public in Mega Manila.

The officials of Radio Veritas were grateful and honored for the award given to them. The station offered the recognition to all the members of the Kapanalig Community who support and religiously listen to their station.

On April 21, Radio Veritas celebrated its 50th anniversary in promoting truth and justice to their listeners. (Marian Pulgo/Radio Veritas and Jheng Prado/RCAM-AOC)

On May 7, Cardinal Tagle released a letter addressed to all priests in the Archdiocese of Manila encouraging them to be discerning in the process of choosing and voting for candidates. To his end, he endorses a tool-process that the group People’s Choice Movement has used.

“We want to share with you the process of discernment undergone by the People’s Choice Movement, a purely lay group organized by lay Christian leaders,” Cardinal Tagle said.

“I urge you to share this initiative of the lay faithful with the lay groups, youth organizations, circles of discernment in your parish as a guide to their own discernment,” he added.

The People’s Choice Movement is an organization of lay faithful composed of 130 Christian leaders who heeded the call of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines to “Seek the Common Good” during its Plenary Assembly in January 2019. The call particularly pertains to the 2019 May election.

According to Cardinal Tagle, PCM asked the faithful to consider the following criteria before voting for a candidate: character and honor; competence and abilities; faithfulness to public service; and faithfulness to God, the Constitution and the laws.

The Archbishop of Manila also asked the parishes to conduct activities that will result into a peaceful and orderly election.

“I am also encouraging you to include the integrity and peaceful conduct of the elections in the daily masses leading up to May 13. Depending on the context of your parish, please organize prayer moments like a Holy Hour, rosaries, a triduum and the like,” Cardinal Tagle said.

He also reminded the priests that after the elections, they should continue with their mission “of participating in the renewal of society based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

This year’s election, which is May 13, coincides with the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. (Jheng Prado / RCAM-AOC)

In celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, 2019, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo will preside the Holy Eucharist on Sunday, May 12, at The Manila Cathedral, at 6 p.m. to be followed by a candlelight procession around Plaza Roma in Intramuros.

The celebration also invites the faithful to be one in prayer to have a peaceful, orderly, and godly mid-term election on May 13.

To make the celebration more meaningful, the presence of a replica of the image of Our Lady of Fatima at the Chapel of Apparitions from Fatima, Portugal will be used during the rosary procession brought home by a group of Filipinos from a Marian pilgrimage.

On Monday, May 13, more than 60 million voters are expected to participate in the elections to fill 18 thousand positions in local and national government. (Jheng Prado / RCAM-AOC)

The Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Manila and TV Maria in coordination with SIGNIS Philippines will hold its first Media Camp at the La Salette Retreat House in Silang, Cavite from May 2-4, 2019.

Highlighting Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the Environment, Laudatu Si, the three-day event will be attended by the different social communications ministers of parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila.

With the theme “Social Communications Ministers as Stewards of God’s Creation” the event is aimed at developing camaraderie among social communication ministers as well as to develop their technical skills in creating and producing a mini-feature documentary that promotes the care for the environment as our home.

Highlights of the activity include a session on Laudatu Si, training on pre-production, conceptualization, scriptwriting, and post-production and an actual shooting on various locations.

Guest speakers in their respective expertise are invited to mentor SOCOM Ministers throughout the media camp. They are Mr. Nonie Amos, Mariology lecturer at the Institute of Catechetics of the Archdiocese of Manila/Religious Association of Formators; Mr. Bernard, Broadcaster, Motivational Speaker, Media Education Specialist. Culture Building Workshop Facilitator; and Ms. Pie Fenomeno, Vice President for Operations at Communication Foundation for Asia (CFA).

In his message, Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente F. Ignacio imparted an inspiring message to the SOCOM ministers who will participate in the media camp through the Archdiocesan Office of Communications.

“Thank you very much for taking time out with us for this media camp. We encourage all participants to actively take part in the activities of this media camp. This will be a great opportunity to learn and develop our skills and talents in the field of pre-production, production, and post-production of our media projects. More, it will help us appreciate the importance of our roles and responsibilities as social communicators in our parishes,” Msgr. Clemente said.

“Let us be illumined by the message of Christ who is really the first communicator. Let us be one as bearers of Christ’s Good News,” he added. (Jheng M. Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle has called on the faithful to see the love in the risen Christ.

In his Easter message, Cardinal Tagle asked the faithful to see and to love Christ even during the times when they are enveloped by darkness because life is unbearable.

“We invite you to seize the power of love unleashed by the risen Christ this Easter, and with the love you have received, spread seeds of hope across our country," Cardinal Tagle said.

“Love is not just a word, it’s a lifestyle of seeing, encountering, and understanding other people. It is the lifestyle of Jesus, crucified and risen.It is the style of being with and living for others in the belief that light will always overcome darkness,” he added.

Cardinal Tagle leads the Easter Vigil Mass held on April 20, 2019, at the Manila Cathedral. (Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao)

The Cardinal also said that like Christ who was abandoned and crucified on the cross, the faithful no longer feels love especially in these trying times where there is hunger, unemployment, addictions, indignities, abuse, hate speech, false accusations, killing, corruption, and human trafficking.

Citing these kinds of darkness that spread in the world, the Cardinal remains hopeful that kindness will still prevail.

“What difference can one act of kindness make in the face of unrelenting evil?It can make all the difference in ways we can’t even imagine how because these small acts of care and love are crowned by the total self-giving of Christ crucified on the cross,” Cardinal Tagle said.

The Manila Archbishop who is also the President of Caritas Internationalis cited that an act of kindness can be expressed through a culture of encounter.

“We are called as Christians to encounter others and walk with them humbly, without judgment or pretensions of having the answer to all their problems,” Cardinal Tagle said.

“It is through these encounters that our hearts are opened and presented with new horizon and a renewed energy to move forward,” he said.

“It is through these encounters of love and caring that persons, families and communities are transformed from prisoners of despair into bearers of hope,” he added. (Jheng M. Prado / RCAM-AOC)

“Where is Love?” This was the question asked by the orphan boy Oliver Twist in the 1960’s Oliver when he felt alone and abandoned. This song touched me deeply when I was a boy. It is a question many of us ask ourselves when life is hard or when we see injustices destroying lives.

Christ must have asked the same question on the cross when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Where was love when Jesus was betrayed, abandoned by his friends and crucified like a criminal?

Sometimes we find ourselves in a dark place, like Jesus on the cross, and our lives can seem loveless.When hunger, unemployment, addictions, indignities, abuse, hate speech, false accusations, killing, corruption, human trafficking run wild and seem to reign, our world appears dark. But if we look more carefully, more intently at people and situations, it is then that we see love revealing itself.

On Jesus’ way to the cross and beyond, in the sea of hate surrounding him, there were also intense moments of love: the women, the Blessed Virgin Mary and John, who brave the sorrow if standing at the foot of the cross when everyone else had abandoned him; the good thief, who broke the stereotype of the delinquent and asked to be remembered when Jesus came into his kingdom; Joseph of Arimathea, who overcame his fear of being an open follower of Christ to ask Pilate for his body; Nicodemus who generously gave vast quantities of myrrh and aloes to anoint Christ’s body; the women who went to the tomb on the third day to tend to the body, even though they had no idea how to move the boulder blocking its entrance; and even Pilate, who saw the injustice of the situation and wanted to release Jesus.

What these actions have in common is that they seem insignificant, especially if you compare them to the violence of the crucifixion and all that had gone before it. What difference can one act of kindness make in the face of unrelenting evil?It can make all the difference in ways we can’t even imagine how because these small acts of care and love are crowned by the total self-giving of Christ crucified on the cross.

Since the time of Christ, who tended to the poor and healed the sick and welcomed the outcasts, our faith has been built on personal encounters and on people who empty themselves, enabling them to see people and their situations with deep understanding, compassion and solidarity. We are called as Christians to encounter others and walk with them humbly, without judgment or pretensions of having the answer to all their problems. It is through these encounters that our hearts are opened and presented with new a horizon and a renewed energy to move forward.It is through these encounters of love and caring that persons, families and communities are transformed from prisoners of despair into bearers of hope.

We invite you to seize the power if love unleashed by the risen Christ this Easter, and with the love you have received, spread seeds of hope across our country. Love is not just a word, it’s a lifestyle of seeing, encountering, and understanding other people. It is the lifestyle of Jesus, crucified and risen.It is the style of being with and living for others in the belief that light will always overcome darkness.In the name of the Archdiocese of Manila, I wish you a blessed and safe Easter!

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle told the young people to believe that “Jesus loves you with an everlasting love.”

This was the strong message Cardinal Tagle imparted to youth especially to the 12 young people whose feet he washed during the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday, April 18, 2019.

“Please, young people, believe with certainty no matter what your experience with your family has been even if one of your parents is absent, even when the stresses of life have made you doubt whether you are loved, believe Jesus loves you with an everlasting love,” Cardinal Tagle said.

Cardinal Tagle delivers his homily during the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday.Photo by Laureen Camille Jaring

He asked also asked the young people to turn to Jesus even when they are wounded and broken.

“Let Jesus wash you, don’t be afraid, don’t be ashamed. The world will judge you but Jesus will wash you. Wash you with his blood. That’s how precious you are to him,” Cardinal Tagle said.

He also appealed to the young to imitate what Christ did even when at the time they are also broken and wounded.

"Be compassionate, not self-focused. Be a servant rather than wait to be served. Love others and not just expect to be loved,” he added.

The 12 young people

In celebration of the Year of the Youth, the Archdiocese of Manila has chosen these 12 young people whose feet were washed and kissed by Cardinal Tagle.

The 12 young people shared their stories of faith, hope, and love for family in a simple gathering with Cardinal Tagle before the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper took place.

Nicole Anne Perez, 23 years old and works as a call center agent. She is an active member of the Parish Youth Ministry of San Roque Parish in Mandaluyong City. She was appointed by Pope Francis as a participant to the 2018 Synod of Bishops on Young People.

Rafael Villegas, 22 years old, is a first year college student taking up Economics at the Universidad de Manila. He is a volunteer of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting of the National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels in San Miguel, Manila.

Luna Mirafuentes, 18 years old and will vote for the first time this 2019 midterm election. She is a member of the Parish Youth Ministry and the Ministry of Greeters and Collectors at San Fernando de Dilao Parish, Paco, Manila. She is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration at the Rizal Technological University.

Carlito Sapunto, suffers from cerebral palsy. But despite this illness, he is a church volunteer at the St. Dominic Savio Parish, Mandaluyong Manila. He is also an awarded player of the sport boccia, a ball sport played by people with disability bound by wheelchair.

Jeffrey Ranola, 25 years old, is from Parola, Tondo, Manila. He is a fresh graduate of BS Education from the Universidad de Manila. He is also an active member of the Youth Ministry.

Sr. Antonisa, MC, 26 years old and a nun of the Missionaries of Charity. She is from Bangladesh and has been in the Philippines for the past 5 years taking care of poor and abandoned children in the Alay ng Puso House in Del Pan, Binondo, Manila.

Joel Obreo, 23 years old, is from India. He has been in Manila for 10 months now as a missionary under the Ligaya ng Panginoon Community and Christ Youth in Action.

Janrey Nevado, 20 years old and the only child of a security guard and a housewife. He graduated summa cum laude from De La Salle – College of St. Benilde with the degree in Business Administration, Major in Computer Applications, with specialization in Business Analytics. He is the only summa cum laude among Benilde’s graduates this year.

Jenezis Caliwag, 25 years old, is a staff of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church). Being a devotee himself of the Black Nazarene, he works closely with the Hijos de Nazareno, especially with regard to their spiritual formation. He is also a campus youth animator in St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Novaliches.

Ferdinand John Azogue and Daisy Jane Azogue, both 31 years old, were married last March 30, 2019. Ferdinand John works as a medical representative in Alabang, Muntinlupa and Daisy Jane is a hotel employee. They firmly believe that it is their faith in God that strengthened their relationship and love for each other.

Jinky Pelopero, 21 years old and a college student at Colegio de San Juan de Letran. She stays with the sisters of Colegio de Santa Rosa in Intramuros. She is an active member of the Ministry of Greeters and Collectors of the Manila Cathedral.

Before he ended his homily, Cardinal Tagle reminded those people who have the responsibility to look after the welfare of the young.

In 2018, Cardinal Tagle washed the feet of migrants, refugees, and displaced peoples.

The Washing of the Feet is part of the Liturgy of the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper. It was at the Last Supper that Jesus washed the feet of his apostles reminding the faithful that as disciples of Christ we are called to serve others in a spirit of humility. (Jheng M. Prado / RCAM-AOC)

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal led the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday at the Manila Cathedral, on April 18, 2019.

“We come together anointed by the spirit with our different gifts. Let us come together as a consecrated people, as a people set apart, as a priestly people, and we ordained are called to serve the priestly people to awaken the priestly consecration of all the baptized. That is our ministry, not to take over and say ‘we are the only priests’, we belong to the common priesthood the common consecration of the baptized and the ministers as ministers we served the awakening, the blossoming of that consecration, Cardinal Tagle said.

Cardinal Tagle blesses two young people after the celebration of the Holy Eucharist held at Gate 58 Parola Compound Tondo, Manila. (Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao)

At the beginning of his homily, Cardinal Tagle shared that he had celebrated Mass in the same place after it was destroyed by a fire in March 2015 where some 5,000 families were left homeless. He also expressed his admiration for the people’s hope and courage to rise again after the unfortunate incident.

The Intramuros Administration (IA), in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DoT), the Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Parish Church with the support of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Knights of Columbus, Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL), Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU), Mapua University and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), will be staging several activities during the observance of Holy Week in Intramuros, from 14 to 21 April 2019.

Nine churches/chapels/prayer grounds will now be open to pilgrims and tourists alike during Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday, 18 to 20 April 2019.

On regular days, only the Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church are accessible to the public. From the previous year, there were only seven venues open during Holy Week. IA has worked out to open two more sites this year, some located inside schools or government offices.

Visita Iglesia

The churches that will be open during the Visita Iglesia include are the following:

Included in the IA program is the Penetencia around Plaza Roma and the Manila Cathedral on Holy Thursday, 18 April at 7 p.m. by the Cainta Nazareno Inc.

Stations of the Cross

Stations of the Cross installations will be displayed at the stretch of Gen. Luna Street, from Beaterio Street to Muralla (side of PLM) from Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday (April 18 to 20, 2019).

Traffic

To facilitate traffic within Intramuros, General Luna St. will be closed to all vehicles from the night of Holy Wednesday until Good Friday. There will be designated areas for public parking in various locations.

Security

Security is a priority, and the Philippine national Police – MPD, the Philippine Navy – Naval Reserve Command (NAVRESCOM) and the Philippine National Red Cross will be on-call to ensure the safety and security of devotees and tourists.

There will be two stand-by ambulances from the Red Cross in front of the Manila Cathedral at Plaza Roma and at the Red Cross Headquarters in General Luna.

Portalets will be installed all over the city and near the churches for public use. (DOT/RCAM-AOC)

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle will wash the feet of young people on April 18, 2019, Holy Thursday.

In a press conference held at the Manila Cathedral Hall on April 15, Rev. Fr. Kali Llamado, vice rector, Manila Cathedral announced that Cardinal Tagle will wash the feet of 12 young people with different backgrounds and experiences.

The 12 young people were chosen in line with the Year of the Youth celebrated by the Church in the Philippines this 2019 and in view of the coming midterm election on May 13, 2019, said Rev. Fr. Reginal Malicdem, rector, Manila Cathedral.

(File Photo: RCAM-AOC)

Among those whose feet will be washed by the Cardinal is Nicole Anne Perez, 23 years old and works as a call center agent. She was appointed by Pope Francis as a participant to the 2018 Synod of Bishops on Young People.

Cardinal Tagle will also wash the feet of Carlito Sapunto who suffers from cerebral palsy. But despite this illness, he is a church volunteer at the St. Dominic Savio Parish, Mandaluyong Manila. He is also an awarded player of the sport boccia, a ball sport played by people with disability bound by a wheelchair.

Also on the list is a missionary nun from Bangladesh named Sr. Antonisa, MC, 26. She is from the Missionaries of Charity and has been in the Philippines for the past 5 years taking care of poor and abandoned children in the Alay ng Puso House in Del Pan, Binondo, Manila.

Joel Obreo, 23, a missionary from India is also on the list. He has been in Manila for 10 months now as a missionary under the Ligaya ng Panginoon Community and Christ Youth in Action.

Also included on the list are the following: Rafael Villegas, Luna Mirafuentes, Jeffrey Ranola, Janrey Nevado, Jenezis Kaliwag, newly married couple Ferdinand John Azogue and Daisy Jane Azogue, and Jinky Pelopero.

The Washing of the Feet is part of the Liturgy of the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper to be held at the Manila Cathedral at 5 pm. It was at the Last Supper that Jesus washed the feet of his apostles. It reminds the faithful that as disciples of Christ we are called to serve others in a spirit of humility.

Cardinal Tagle will also preside at the following Mass at the Manila Cathedral during the Holy Week: Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, April 18, 7 am and Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 5 pm; Good Friday, April 19, 3 pm; and Easter Vigil on Black Saturday, April 20, 8 pm. (Jheng M. Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle leads the faithful of the Archdiocese of Manila in the Holy Week activities at the Manila Cathedral.

Cardinal Tagle presided at the Palm Sunday Mass on April 14, 2019, at 7 am.

Palm Sunday is the sixth and last Sunday of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week. It is a day in which the Church enters upon the mystery of Death, Burial and Resurrection of the Lord. It commemorates Christ’s arrival at Jerusalem a few days before he was crucified.

Cardinal Tagle blessed the palms of the people at Plaza Roma in front of the Cathedral. It was followed by the procession of the people and the main celebrant into the church and served as the entrance rite of the Mass.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle blesses the palms of the people in front of Plaza Roma in Intramuros before the celebration of the Holy Eucharist on April 14, 2019. (Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao/RCAM-AOC)

At 7 in the morning of Holy Thursday, April 18, Cardinal Tagle will preside at the Chrism Mass, “one of the principal expressions of the fullness of the Bishop’s priesthood.” During this Mass, all the priests of the Archdiocese of Manila gather at Manila Cathedral as a sign of unity and brotherhood. The chrism or holy oil is also blessed during the Mass.

At 5 in the afternoon, Cardinal Tagle will again preside at Mass commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his apostles. In line with the celebration of the Year of the Youth, Cardinal Tagle will wash the feet of 12 young people with different backgrounds and experiences.

On April 19, Good Friday, there will be a Station of the Cross at 8:30 in the morning while the Seven Last Words will start at 12 noon. The Mass for the Commemoration of the Lord's Passion will start at 3 pm. The celebration consists of three parts, namely, the Liturgy of the Word, the Veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion.

Caritas Manila, the social service arm of the Archdiocese of Manila holds an exhibit entitled Holy Women of Lent and the Segunda Mana Expo at the Starmall EDSA Activity Center in Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City, from April 2-14, 2019.

Holy Women of Lent exhibit showcases dozens of life-size images of women saints that came from as far as Angono in Rizal and Paete in Laguna. The images will be put on display for public veneration.

Officials and Administrators of Starmall lead the opening of the Holy Women of Lent exhibit and Segunda Mana Expo (Photo Credit: James Conception/Public Relations Office-Veritas 846)

The exhibit was accompanied by the opening of Segunda Mana Expo of pre-loved items like clothes, shoes, bags, toys, home, and fashion accessories. These items are all donated by generous organizations and individuals. The items are offered at a reasonable price for consumers to respond to the call of charity works during Lenten season.

The two events are part of Caritas Manila’s mission of inculcating to its faithful the value of giving as a way of life.

The event was attended by the officials and administrators of Starmall.

For inquiries about the event and how to donate, you may call 563-9311, 564-0205, 0905-4285001, 0929-8343857 and you may visit their website at caritasmanila.org.ph or email them This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. (Jheng M. Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines- Episcopal Commission on Social Communications (CBCP-ECSC) conducted a three-day regional workshop for Social Communication Directors and Catholic media practitioners. The event was held at the Communication Foundation for Asia (CFA) from March 20-22, 2019.

Catholic media ministers and practitioners gather for a three-day regional media workshop at the Communication Foundation for Asia in Sta. Mesa, Manila from March 20-22, 2019. (Photo by Laureen Camille Jaring/RCAM-AOC)

Dubbed with the theme “Empowering you with the Truth in this Digital Age,” the workshop aims to properly educate, train, and equip the Catholic media practitioners with the skills to be online missionaries.

“We hope to gain expertise in the creation, management, and dissemination of information to effectively influence public opinion according to Gospel values,” said CBCP-ECSC president Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara in his letter of invitation to the Catholic SOCOM practitioners.

The workshop commenced with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided over by Bishop Vergara followed by the welcoming of participants from the different dioceses and archdioceses in the country.

Rev. Fr. Joselito Jopson, CBCP-ECSC Executive Secretary gave his welcome remarks and discussed the important mission of communication in this digital age by telling the Catholic media practitioners that “Media must be guided with moral principles” and “communications must state the truth”.

Ms. Sally Jo Bellosillo, President and CEO of Caelestics Production Inc., was the guest speaker during the conference. Among the topics she discussed were: Editorial Management and Content Creation, Brand Narrative Creation for multiple medium especially for Social Media, How the Church is the Competitive Voice to mainstream Media and the Voice of the Truth, and Crisis Management

In his homily during Mass to culminate the three-day workshop, Fr. Jopson took note of the important role of the Church to its faithful especially social media has been the main source of evangelization nowadays.

He cited that upon entering the digital age where there is a widespread proliferation of fake news, the Church should lead the people to Christ, who himself is the only truth.

“No matter what fake news does to people, we cannot underestimate the power of truth. Indeed, the truth shall set us free. We pursue that path of truth in our chosen apostolate and consequently leads the people to the truth,” Fr. Jopson said.

“So, dear Catholic media practitioners, persevere in the Lord in the search for truth. This will lead the whole Church into our long-desired freedom in the Lord,” he added.

Hearing from the point of view of a Catholic media practitioner, Sr. Maricris Licup, FMM, from the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, Diocese of Cubao had expressed her thoughts on the various activities she engaged in during the workshop.

As Catholic media practitioners, she said the workshop deepened her conviction that the priests, religious, and lay media practitioners should collaborate to put their acts together.

“We aspire to inspire God’s people to see the glory of God through our good deeds and in turn bring them back to the fold,” Sr. Maricris said.

Father Ilde Dimaano, SOCOM head of the Diocese of Batangas, said that he sees the communication crisis in the Church as a “challenge to convince Church workers, clergy and lay alike, to also get involved in this epic endeavor, to continuously believe in the power of truth using Church media”.

He also urged the Catholic media practitioners “to be more assertive in the spread of good and be more diligent in the work of seeking what is true and just”.

The three-day regional media workshop was in coordination with the Communication Foundation for Asia.

On August 2019, the 5th National Catholic Media Convention which is also a project of the CBCP-ECSC will be held in Lipa, Batangas. (Jheng M. Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Commission on Youth of the Archdiocese of Manila will hold its 7th San Pedro Calungsod Catequiz on April 6, 2019, at the Cardinal Sin Auditorium, Paco Catholic School Paco, Manila from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Catequiz 2019 is the commission’s response to the call of New Evangelization. It aims to instill in the youth the love for the person of Christ and to appreciate the teachings of Christ.

This year’s Catequiz will highlight the celebration of the Year of the Youth as part of the preparation of the 500 years of Christianity in the country in 2021.

The Catequiz will be held in three phases namely: Elimination Round, Semi-Final Round, and Final Round. Questions related to the celebration will be coming from the following sources: 1. Scriptures passages relevant to the youth issues2. Church Documents relevant to the youth issues 3. Open Letter of the Youth to the Bishops.

The contest is open to all youth ages 13-21, 1 team per parish, organization, campus, dormitory, CEAP Manila School, and RCAM-ES School in the Archdiocese of Manila.

Each team is composed of 5 members (one acts as team captain), one adviser and 2 reserved contestants. They must be certified and endorsed as active members of their parish, organization, campus or dormitory.

In his circular letter, Rev. Fr. Jade Licuanan expressed the significance of the event in communion with the youth.

“Please encourage young people to participate and come together as a community to learn more about the Catholic Social Teachings and have enriching interaction with fellow youth,” Fr. Licanan said. For inquiries, please call the Youth office at 523-2814 or email them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. (Jheng M. Prado/RCAM-AOC)

At 7 pm today, he named Fr. Cosme Almedilla as the new bishop of Butuan and Claretian Fr. Leo Dalmao as prelate of Isabela in Basilan.

Almedilla, a clergy of the Diocese of Talibon, succeeds Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos who died in October 2017.

A native of San Miguel, Bohol, the bishop-elect is a product of the St. John XXII College Seminary in Malaybalay City and the Loyola School of Theology (LST) in the Ateneo De Manila University.

He was ordained a priest on Aug. 4, 1987.

Upon his appointment, the 60-year-old priest has been serving at the Holy Child Parish in Ubay, Bohol.

Among his previous assignments include being the spiritual director at the John XXII College Seminary, Director of the Holy Child Academy in Bohol, and chaplain at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City.

Since 2015, Almedill, who is also known for promoting the Basic Ecclesial Community movement, has been Assistant Pastoral Director of the Talibon diocese.

Dalmao, meanwhile, will take over the post from Martin Jumoad, who was appointed archbishop of Ozamiz in October 2016.

The bishop-elect is currently serving as Consultor and the Prefect of Formation at the Istituto Guiridico Claretiano in Rome, Italy.

At 49, he will be the first Filipino Claretian to join the College of Bishops.

Born in Tagbilaran City, also in Bohol, he entered the Congregation in 1986 and studied philosophy at Claret Formation Center, now known as St. Anthony Mary Claret College.

After his theology studies at the LST, he was ordained priest by the late Bishop Emeritus José María Querejeta Mendizábal of Isabela in 1997.

Mendizábal was a Spanish missionary who served as the first Claretian bishop in the Philippines.

Bishop-elect Dalmao is not new to the prelature. After his ordination, he was assigned in Basilan where he served as project coordinator for indigenous people Samal-Badjau.

“Fr. Dalmao’s years of stay in the place provided him a chance to know and experience the life and mission of the Claretians in the whole southern Philippines,” his Congregation said.

In 2000, he was named Prefect of Students and three years later, became Novice Master while serving as Consultor and Prefect of Formation of the Philippine Province.

Ten years later, he was elected as superior of the Philippine Province of the Claretian Missionaries.

While serving the post, he was also elected as co-chairperson of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines until he was transferred to Rome in 2015.

Dalmao remains to be the first and the only Filipino priest elected to the general government of the Claretians worldwide. (CBCPNews/RCAM-AOC)

With praise and thanksgiving to God, Kambal na Krus Chapel celebrated its 97th Founding Anniversary last March 23, 2019, and its Community Fiesta last March 16-17, 2019 with the theme: “KRUS NG KALIGTASAN, GABAY NG MGA KABATAAN.”

On the day of its Fiesta, March 17, 2019, Sunday, the 10:00 a.m. Misang Maringal was presided by Rev. Fr. Estelito L. Villegas, Rector/Parish Priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño with Rev. Fr. Marlon M. Reyes, SSS, a homegrown parishioner of the parish and the chapel who resides at Barangay 147 of Tondo, Manila as concelebrant.

The Pontifical Mass was followed by the Maringal na Prusisyon which were attended by thousands of devotees from the different parts of the cities and provinces, who comes to the chapel every year during the day of its Fiesta.

The 97 founding anniversary of Kambal na Krus was celebrated on March 23, 2019. The following activities were held: Peeling of the Chapel’s Bells at 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon– the actual time when the crosses were found and a Solemn High Mass at 8:00 o’clock in the evening presided by Rev. Fr. Joselino B. Tuazon, Parish Priest.

The fiesta commemorates the allegedly miraculous properties of the chapel's twin crosses.

The KAMBAL NA KRUS CHAPEL is a visita that lies in the heart of Tondo situated along Raxabago Street. The chapel is under the jurisdiction of St. Joseph Parish Gagalangin and covers seven barangays such as Barangays 147, 149, 150, 151, 154, 157, 158 and 160. Its feast day is celebrated during the third Sunday of March. The Kambal Na Krus was founded by a young laborer named, Crispino Lacandaso who was chopping wood from a felled, hundred-year-old Sampalok tree on an empty lot at 1885 Juan Luna St. Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila. Lacandaso initially had difficulty in cutting the trunk, but upon finally, cleaving in twain, he saw a dark cross on the base, imprinted on both halves of the wood.

The pieces of wood were subsequently encased in glass, and devotees from other parts of the city flocked to the site, and a small chapel was later built to enshrine the wood. The 2009 renovation completely altered the Chapel, adding a second altar and two more floors to the structure. On the second floor is the new choir loft, while a rooftop area and bellcote are on the third. The altar was also overhauled, and the Chapel received a new set of liturgical vessels. (Eijay Valerio de Paz / SOCOM - St. Joseph Parish, Tondo)

The Santisima Trinidad Parish in Malate celebrated its Silver Jubilee on March 25, 2019, with a Thanksgiving Mass presided over by Bishop Emeritus of Novaliches Teodoro Bacani, Jr. at 6 p.m.

A Trinity Congress was held on March 2, 9, and 16 where Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle presided at the Closing Mass of the Congress.

A Triduum Mass at 6 p.m. was also held from March 22-24, 2019, led by Rev. Fr. Domingo Baybay, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, and Archbishop Emeritus of Manila Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales respectively.

Radio Veritas, the Catholic Radio Station of the Archdiocese of Manila will broadcast a special program called “Ang Banal na Oras para sa Kalikasan” on Saturday, March 25 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m.

The program will be an occasion for reflection, prayer, and sharing of the different Ecumenical groups at Our Lady of Remedies Parish (Malate Church).

The Earth Hour activities at the Globe Circuit Events Ground in Makati will also be heard live at Radio Veritas.

Earth Hour, organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is an annual environmental campaign that aims to increase awareness on the different effects of climate change. During Earth Hour, individuals are asked to switch off their lights and some appliances that are not being used at home and in the office for an hour and shine a light on climate action.

The first Earth Hour started as a lights-off event in Sydney Australia in 2007 and the Philippines was first among Asian countries to participate in Earth Hour in 2008. (Jheng M. Prado / RCAM-AOC)

Homily delivered by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle during Mass for the Solemn Canonical Coronation of Virgen de la Rosa at the Saints Peter and Paul Parish on March 16, 2019.

We thank God for gathering us as one church, as one community, as one family of faith on this beautiful day.

Salamat umulan, may mga nagtatanong ito ba raw ay dahil sa cloud seeding or prayers? Sabi ko prayers! Siyempre prayers! And we thank the Lord for this day, Saturday, traditionally dedicated to our Blessed Mother and today in this historic parish we will honor her in a special way.

Photo Credit TV Maria

Thanks to the special grace from the Holy Father Pope Francis we will have the Canonical Coronation of our Lady – Virgen Dela Rosa De Makati. (Applause) And our day is really made more special by the presence of our dear Cardinal ang ipinagbubunyi ng langit at lupa ang Kanyang Kabunyian Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales.

And our beloved Apostolic Nuncio His Excellency Gabrielle Caccia, Thank you. Our Brother Bishops and Archbishops, the religious men and women, the Government officials and all of you maraming salamat po.

Dela Rosa… Virgen Dela Rosa, Rose. Even outside of Christianity the flower called Rose has been associated with different Goddesses, even Aphrodite the Goddess of love and especially the color red, love, and no wonder our Lady would also be associated with the rose, in fact, the most popular prayer is the ROSE-ary.

She is not only here in Makati, but she is also everywhere, where we celebrate love, and we pray the rosary. But what is the coronation all about? Crowning, well, even from ancient of times the coronation is recognition of the sovereign power and the glory of a monarch so it is associated with people who have a special or particular status, especially in the monarchy.

It is associated with sovereignty, with power, with authority, and because they are crowned, then the people must pay homage, there is a corresponding response to someone who is crowned. But what is the crown of the Blessed Mother? Why do we crown her? Why – What is her claim to sovereignty? What is her claim to glory? What is the status that we are recognizing in this coronation?

From what we have heard in the reading and from what we know of the person and the mission of Mary, we know that her crown derives from the crown of Jesus her son, in reality, Jesus is her crown.

The angel told her that she will conceive a child who will be called the son of God, the highest God, the highest of all sovereign rulers. Her son possesses the eternal crown and Mary will be crowned only because of her connection with her son. And our readings for today indicate for us some of the jewels of the crown of Mary.

First, the angel greeted her, “Rejoice!” we have translated it into “Hail!” kasi parang mas bagay sa hari o reyna, “Hail!” But the greeting of the angel was very simple “rejoice,” and why should she rejoice? You are full of grace, you have found favor with God, and this is the first jewel in the crown of Mary. Whatever joy she experiences, it is because God has favored her, God has seen something in her to merit God’s complete love.

Grace is not a thing, Grace is God Himself, the Lord is with you. If the Lord is with us then you are happy, you experience the joy that the world cannot give. Mary’s crown reminds everyone to find joy in the presence of God in their lives.

Well, that is not the crown of Mary. The crown of Mary is very simple, “the Lord is with you” and that is the cause of joy, no other jewel could match or surpass God in one’s life.

The second crown is the humility of Mary. In fact, her admission of her incapacity to do the mission entrusted to her, sabi po ng anghel.“Huwag kang matakot, kasi ikaw ay kinalulugdan ng Diyos!” Pero, basta mayroong biyaya ang Diyos, mayroon ding misyon.

“Maglilihi ka at mangangak ng isang lalaki at tatawagin mo siyang Hesus.” Meaning – God saves. Now that mission could have been construed by somebody else as an honor, just an honor. If Mary were not full of grace, if Mary did not have God’s abiding presence, Mary would have said, “Ako ang napili!? Sa dami ng babae ako!? Wow! Espesyal ako.Wow! pakisabi sa Diyos he made the right choice.”

The first thing that Mary said to the angel… ”How could this be? How? I don’t have a husband”… By saying this, Mary adds a jewel to her crown. She is in communion with the many humble, helpless people of her time and of all ages. She has united herself with people who almost say every day, “how can this be?” How can I provide water for my family? How can I provide food on the table? How can I find a decent job?

And we unite ourselves with our brothers and sisters in New Zealand, our brothers and sisters praying in the mosque who were attacked at the moment of prayer and some of them, now the survivors asking, “how could this happen?

When you are communing with God something contrary to God happens to you. There are so many people whose daily life is inadequacy, helplessness and Mary did not make use of her calling to separate herself from them, to forget them.

In fact, in her magnificat, she sang God’s praises. She sang a song of hope not only for herself but for the poor, the hungry, the humble. The woman crowned as the mother of God is a humble woman whose heart beats with the helplessness, with the cries, with the pains of the humble people of every generation.

I have additional honor and we are not similar anymore. Para bagang yung makilala ka na mahina, katulad ng iba ay kasiraan sa iyong korona, not with Mary. Part of the jewel of Mary is to remain the sister of the helpless and the poor that’s why she is not the only mother of Jesus but Mother of the Church, The body of Christ of the many, many people who rely on God.

And finally po, the crown of servanthood. “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word.” To be a servant of the Lord does not mean only doing things for the Lord. During the time of Jesus and Mary to be a servant of someone means I belong to the one who I serve. More than work, it is about belongingness, to whom do I belong? And if I belong to the Lord I will serve the Lord.

No wonder Jesus will say, you cannot serve both God and money. Now, but if you belong to money, you will serve money, but if you belong to the Lord, you will serve the Lord. It is not just action; it is about belonging. If I belong to the Lord, I will serve the Lord.

This is the jewel, another jewel on the crown of Mary. She proudly proclaims, “I belong to God and so my service will be rendered to God.” This is the glory of Mary, the glory of someone who trusts that the Lord is with her, the glory of someone who remains in solidarity with many poor helpless people and the jewel of someone who says I belong to the Lord so I will serve the Lord.

These are the same jewels we find on the crown of her son Jesus and we hope that all of us, children of Mary, Devotees of Mary, especially the parishioners of Saints Peter and Paul, this parish which is the home of the Virgen De la Rosa De Makati.

We hope on this day and from this day forward our crown will be the crown of Mary, rejoicing in the Lord, rejoicing in solidarity with the poor, rejoicing in belonging to God and serving God.

Tatapusin ko po ito sa isang kwento. Kanina, I said let us unite ourselves with our Muslim brothers and sister who were massacred in the mosque, the two mosques in New Zealand and we are afraid that this is another form of terrorism that targets just anyone.

I just came back from Syria and we visited some of the communities that had been really affected by the war for the past 8 years. Huwag naman mangyayari po sa atin, no more war please, no more.

Parang yung sinabi ni Saint Paul VI when he visited the United Nations during the 2nd Vatican Council, “Jamais plus la Guerre, Jamais plus la Guerre!” “No more war, not ever again!” Try to imagine coming here to Makati and on both sides the buildings the houses have been reduced to rubble.

Sabi ko nga, iba yung nakikita mo sa TV iba yung nakikita mo sa print at kapag nandun ka. I visited a clinic administered by Caritas Syria. And when I was introduced to the patients, one woman obviously a Muslim woman approached me and through an interpreter said, “My two sons had died of cancer and my only daughter has cancer.

We don’t even have water and food, how could I send her to a hospital?” You are as helpless as she is, then she smiled she said, “but thanks to people like you, thanks to Caritas, thanks to these volunteers, we know we are not alone.”

This suffering mother is wearing a crown. Pope Benedict said, “Beauty, beauty for us is found in the crucified one. Beauty, found in a body mangled, humiliated but made beautiful because if exudes total love.

Finding beauty in what the world considers ugly. Mary stood at the foot of the cross of her son, the son crowned with thorns an ugly site but she stood there and found the mysterious beauty of crucified love.

Where do we locate beauty? Mary teaches us the way. May our celebration today enable us to be people of faith and hope seeing beauty even when the world declares that is ugly.

Artists see what the rest do not see. People of faith see the beauty that only God, the Artist can paint, can recite and can sing of. Let us pause and prepare ourselves for this solemn right of canonical coronation.

Let us ask the Lord to fill us with His presence, the way He filled Mary. And may we be consoled by our solidarity with those that world considers ugly, detestable, so that we may convey to them the beauty of mercy, compassion, and hope. (Radio Veritas/RCAM-AOC)

“The practice of almsgiving helps us to grow in charity and generosity. It helps us, too, to recognize the Lord Jesus in the poor and needy. It is a path that can lead to true conversion: in drawing close to our brothers and sisters, we draw close to God Himself,” Cardinal Tagle said.

Alay Kapwa is an annual Lenten evangelization and fundraising program of the Catholic Church that supports the social services for the poor and in need especially during times of disaster.

Responding to the call of Cardinal Tagle, all parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila will hold a second collection in all Masses during the six Sundays of Lent from March 10, 2019, to April 14, 2019. The amount to be collected will be used by Caritas Manila for their Damayan relief assistance, emergency response and humanitarian aid.

Also, Caritas Manila, the leading social development arm of the Archdiocese of Manila, in partnership with Radio Veritas846 is set to hold this year’s Alay Kapwa Telethon on Holy Monday, April 15, 2019, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to raise awareness and funds for Caritas Damayan.

In 2018, Caritas Damayan extended help to the victims of typhoon Agaton, Josie and Ompong and to the victims of the numerous fire disasters in Metro Manila. They also provided assistance to the lumads of Tandag, and to the affected families of Mayon eruption.

As the country continues to face calamities, Cardinal Tagle asked the faithful to be more generous to Alay Kapwa.

“With the increasing number and magnitude of disasters and calamities being responded to by Caritas Damayan, our Alay Kapwa funds get immediately depleted,” Cardinal Tagle said.

Lent is a special time for renewal and conversion, a time to return to God. But it is only a time to intensify our prayer, but also an occasion to think of others, particularly those who are poor, suffering of on need. In fact, the Church has instructed us to practice almsgiving - together with prayer and fasting - especially during the Lenten season (cf. Mk 6, 1-6, 6-8).

The practice of almsgiving helps us to grow in charity and generosity. It helps us, too, to recognize the Lord Jesus in the poor and the needy. It is a path that can lead to true conversion: in drawing close to our brothers and sisters, we draw close to God himself.

For decades now, during the Lenten season, we have been conducting our Alay Kapwa Lenten evangelization and fundraising program. The program is meant to support our social services to the poor, especially those who suffer during natural and human-caused calamities. Funds raised during the second collection for the six (6) Sundays of Lent (March 10, 2019- April 14, 2019) will be remitted to Caritas Manila for our Damayan relief assistance, emergency response and humanitarian aid.

Last year, 2018, Caritas Damayan extended help to the victims of typhoon Agaton, Josie and Ompong, as well as to the victims of the numerous fire disasters in Metro Manila. We also provided assistance to Marawi rehabilitation, to the lumads of Tandag, and to the affected families of Mayon eruption.

With the increasing number and magnitude of disasters and calamities being responded to by Caritas Damayan, our Alay Kapwa funds get immediately depleted. It is therefore our hope that we will be more generous in our almsgiving this season of Lent. Let us "not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased" (Heb 13, 16).

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle led the launching of The Manila Cathedral’s new coffee table book entitled “Manila Cathedral: Restoring a Monument to Faith, Architecture and History,” on Saturday, March 9, 2019, at The Manila Cathedral, at 10 in the morning.

According to Cardinal Tagle, who recently had a visit to war-ravaged Syria as president of Caritas Internationalis, said that the book is a “testament to faith, to unending hope, undying hope”.

“We will launch this book which is not just a book. It is a testament. It is our way of witnessing to the power of love. If you love God, if you love your community then your faith will urge you to do something,” Cardinal Tagle said during his welcome remarks.

“So as this book chronicles how to reconstruct a cathedral, the first cathedral in the Philippines, we don’t have only data about architectures, about expenses, about all the studies. We have much more than that,” Cardinal Tagle added.

In his closing remarks, Rev. Fr. Reginald Malicdem, rector of The Manila Cathedral urged the faithful to bring home to their homes a copy of the book.

“Today let me say that every good Filipino Catholic should have a personal copy not only of the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church but also of the Coffee Table Book of the Manila Cathedral,” Fr. Malicdem said.

“Please bring home a copy of the book about our home to your homes. A book about our home, our mother Church, the Manila Cathedral,” he added.

Present during the launch were Apostolic Nuncio Gabriele Giordano Caccia who received the book for Pope Francis, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, and Mr. Alfred Ty of GT foundation.

Fr. Malicdem also commended Rev. Msgr. Nestor Cerbo, former rector of the cathedral who was also in attendance who took on the challenging task of restoring the cathedral from 2012 – 2014.

The Manila Cathedral will also give a copy of the book to the dicastery of the Holy See, College of Cardinals, NCC LGU, Intramuros Administration, National Library, all schools and clergy of the Archdiocese of Manila, and GT Foundation.

The book is available at the Manila Cathedral with a regular price of P2,500.00. (Jheng M. Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Manila Cathedral will launch a commemorative book entitled Manila Cathedral: Restoring a Monument to Faith, Architecture and History on Saturday, March 9, 2019, at 10:00 in the morning, at the Manila Cathedral.

The book features not only the rich story of the first Cathedral of the country but more importantly, it tells the story of the structural restoration it underwent in the recent years, making it a good source in the field of heritage conservation.

Among the special features of the new book is the collection of never before seen pictures (not even in Google) found by the researchers from different archives and libraries. An example is a photo from the Pardo de Tavera collection showing the laying of the cornerstone of the postwar Cathedral on December 8, 1954, by Cardinal Fernando Quiroga y Palacios of Santiago de Compostela.

Professor Gerald Lico, multi-awarded architectural historian, and heritage conservationist is the executive editor of the book while the young and promising architectural photographer Marc Henrich Go is the principal photographer.

His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, President of the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica Foundation, Inc., and Mr. Arthur Ty, Chairman of the Metrobank Foundation, will lead the formal turnover of the first copies of the book to His Excellency Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, His Excellency Archbishop Romulo Valles, Archbishop of Davao and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Atty. Guiller Asido, Administrator of the Intramuros Administration, Director Rico Pableo, Jr. of the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts, Director Cesar Gilbert Adriano of the National Library, and others.

As Catholics enter the 40-day solemn and religious observance as a reminder of compassion and sacrifice, Church leaders encourage everyone to participate in small acts of charity.

“We, Filipinos, have a deep relationship with our faith. The season of Lent is another opportunity for us to re-center our lives by helping those who are most in need,” said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila.

Photo Credit: Hapag-Asa Website

One of the charitable activities that the Church has been promoting, especially during this time, is the Hapag-Asa Integrated Nutrition (Hapag-Asa) program. Hapag-Asa has actively partnered with the Church to reduce hunger and malnutrition among more than two million Filipino children through regular feeding programs in the poorest and remotest places in the country.

Poverty is one of the main causes leading to three out of 10 Filipino children currently stunting (low height for age) or wasting (severe weight loss). These conditions have long-term effects on children’s physical and mental development and render them susceptible to communicable diseases.

To be able to continue their mission to reach and help these children, Hapag-Asa is appealing to Churchgoers who practice fasting during the season to donate the funds they are able to save from fasting to what it calls FAST2FEED. Under the FAST2FEED initiative, as little as PHP 10 a day can feed a child Manna Pack-based meal. Manna Pack is a rice meal formula fortified with proteins, Vitamin A, B, C, D, and calcium which is mixed with vegetables and commonly used for nutrition feeding programs.

“Feeding hungry children can start with our little sacrifice. Imagine how our Php 10 can go towards nutritious meals that may spell a difference for their future,” said Hapag-Asa Program Director Florinda Lacanlalay.

Hapag-asa feeding programs are supplemented by skills and livelihood training for parents and values education sessions for both parents and children. Hapag-Asa also helps communities, especially mothers, to form self-help groups to establish a strong support system within the community capable of organizing their own initiatives to get them out of poverty.

Visit hapagasafeeding.com to know more about Hapag-Asa and donate to the program. You may also deposit directly to the program by using Hapag-Asa or FAST2FEED envelopes to be distributed during the Ash Wednesday Mass in churches throughout the country.

Hapag-Asa is a nationwide feeding program that aims to reduce malnutrition prevalence among children between 0 to 12-years-old and improve the capacity of parents to care and provide for basic needs of their children. (Hapag-Asa / RCAM-AOC)

The Lenten season, which begins today, Ash Wednesday, is a time of mercy. It is an acceptable time (cf. 2 Cor 6, 2) to allow ourselves to be reconciled and to be renewed by the tenderness of the Father. It is a time given to us to trace our steps back to the path from which we strayed. God’s merciful love is not asking anything from us, but only that we return to Him and to urify our hearts (cf. JI 2, 12-13).

Now, in her great wisdom, the church invites us to verify the quality of our Lenten commitment also in the light of charity. Indeed, it is charity that must shine above all and fill our hearts, because everything will end one day, with the exception of charity (cf. 1 Cor 13, 8) – a discreet, humble charity that does not make any noise to draw attention to itself, but works quietly and secretly (cf. Mt 6, 1). To practice charity is concrete proof that we are striving to follow Jesus, and that we are making the gift of ourselves the active principle of Christian life.

One of the charitable activities we have been promoting for several years now, especially during the season of lent, is Pondo ng Pinoy’s Hapag-Asa Integrated Nutrition. Hapag-Asa has been helping to reduce malnutrition prevalence among Filipino children. Mainly because of poverty, more than three out of ten of our children are now stunting in physical and mental development due to prolonged hunger. The development of their full potential will not be achieved unless they are cared for and fed with nutritious food.

Since it started in 2005, Hapag-Asa has helped in feeding more than two million hungry and malnourished children throughout the country. To sustain its gains, it has also capacitated the children’s parents through values education, and skills and livelihood training. For Hapag-Asa to continue on its mission to help these children, Pondo ng Pinoy is once again launching the FAST2FEED 2019 campaign. We hope to provide one hot and nutritious meal a day fir 120 feeding days to atleast 30,000 children. We appeal to your kind hearts. Please support Hapag-Asa. It only takes 1,220.00 for six months – or Php 10.00 per day – to nourish a hungry and undernourished child.

This season of Lent, let us “re-center” our lives on God, who takes the initiative to call us to conversion. Let us deepen our relationship with him, by practicing charity and helping those in need. Let us make a difference in the lives of these hungry and malnourished children by donating whatever we save from fasting to Hapag-Asa. Let us FAST TO FEED our needy children.

“Let us cast on the Lord our burdens in the spirit of faith and hope through prayer. Almsgiving, fasting and prayer will help us leave behind unnecessary bags and baggages on our Lenten journey with Jesus. Our Mother Mary will accompany us," Cardinal Tagle said.

File Photo / RCAM-AOC

During Lenten Season, the Archbishop of Manila also called on the faithful to do acts of charity by supporting the Fast2fFeed Campaign of Pondo ng Pinoy’s Hapag-Asa, a program that feeds hungry and malnourished children around the country.

Ash Wednesday is a day of universal fast and abstinence in the Church. Fasting is required from ages 18 to 60, and abstinence is from age 14 (CIC 1252).

On this day, ashes are blessed and imposed after the homily during the Mass. These ashes came from the palms blessed in the previous Palm Sunday which have been burned. The priest, deacon or lay minister says, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” while imposing the ashes.

The 40-day Season of Lent begins from Ash Wednesday to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. The altars are not decorated with flowers. Musical instruments may be played. In most Churches, a purple cloth is used to cover religious images. (Jheng M. Prado / RCAM-AOC)

The Vicariate of Espiritu Santo holds its second Gandang Gabi Vicariate (GGV) Formation Night with the theme “Our Country’s Problems Are Opportunities in the Eyes of the Youth,” Friday, February 22, 2019, at the Immaculate Conception Parish, Tayuman, Tondo, Manila.

This month’s speaker is prolific formator, TV, and radio host, Bro. Nony Amous. After establishing the relevance of the Church’s celebration this year of the Year of the Youth, Bro. Nony drew from the deep well of social media to identify the source of our country’s predicaments.

Photo by Sis. Nikki Biso (Immaculate Conception Parish SOCOM)

Our Country’s Problems: the Youth and Society

“Pic or it didn’t happen.” The common mentality of the youth today, stemming from their rootedness in social media is the search for physical proof, Bro. Nony reminded in his talk that this fixation on the self is the root of our country’s problems. The standard of truth has been reduced to what can be captured through the “digital eye:” gadgets of modern technology that chronicles everything. The country’s “selfie” mentality is one that blinds us from the needs of others and invites us to a life of excess.

He invited the youth that, amidst the suffering of Filipino families, to open their eyes and look at these problems as opportunities to see and recognize Christ. He went on to remind that not only the youth but even more so, the adults should lead in this recognition of Christ and move towards making a difference in the society

Christ Conceals Himself: Jesus and Social Media

Focusing on the theme’s emphasis on the “eyes,” Bro. Nony went on to reflect on how the “digital eye,” the youth of today’s infatuation with experiencing the world through their gadgets instead of in person, is utilized. He posed the question: “Would Jesus have used the modern tools of social communications?”

According to him, it is likely, but not in all certainty. He introduced the paradox in Christ’s ministry, in that, as He made himself known to the public through his preaching and miracles, he also, simultaneously concealed Himself. However, Bro. Nony emphasized that “Christ conceals himself not away from us, but FOR US and WITH US in this JOURNEY OF FAITH.

Self-Denial Key to Solving Problems

Furthermore, Bro. Nony invited us to battle the “Selfie” Culture and this age’s Culture of Convenience with constant and vigilant self-denial, suffering for the sake of others. He challenged us to live modestly and with the excess help our neighbors. This suffering is our gateway to glory.

He emphasized that Christianity is not “feel-good-ism.” We are deceived by technology. He asked to go back to the fundamentals. Whoever is one with Christ’s suffering will be one with Him in glory.

“Lord Stay with Me”

As he ended the formation, Bro. Nony invited everyone to, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we ask the Lord to stay with us, in our hearts, because only then can we honestly say that we are one with Christ and that is perfect love.

Only in unity in Christ, according to Bro. Nony, can the youth and all of us also, truly say “We are beloved. We are gifted. We are empowered. The Youth in Mission.”

Gandang Gabi Vicariate Formation Night is a monthly seminar on current Church and social issues organized by the Vicariate of Espiritu Santo Education Ministry. It is held every fourth Friday of the month, 7:30 p.m. at the Immaculate Conception Parish, Tayuman, Tondo, Manila. (Jose Lorenzo de Jesus/Immaculate Conception Parish SOCOM)

The digital age has opened a lot of opportunities for many to become rich and famous. And while many are enjoying the luxury of fame and power, social media has become an avenue for bragging instead of making use of it as a form of communication.

This was one of the points of the talk of Mr. Nonie Amos during the First SOCOM General Assembly for 2019 of the Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications (ACSC) held at the San Pedro Calungsod Youth Center, Knights of Columbus in Intramuros, Manila, on February 16, 2019.

Mr. Amos, a Mariology lecturer at the Institute of Catechetics of the Archdiocese of Manila/Religious Association of Formators, who was bare-footed all the while he was giving his talk, shared enriching insights about the Year of the Youth as preparation for the 500 years of Christianity in the country.

He explained, “Once you get to know Mary, you get to know your humanity and your humanity is your groundedness. And that groundedness is your humus. The humus is ground, the root word of our humanity. This one reminds me of my groundedness.”

The whole day assembly was attended by more than 100 members of the Social Communications Ministry of parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila who were asked by the commission to be updated and trained, according to Rev. Fr. Roy Bellen, Assistant Commissioner during his welcome remarks.

“We are members of one another and so we are being asked to become from network communities to human communities,” Fr. Bellen said.

The facilitator who shared her insights during the workshop on scriptwriting was Ms. Sharon Joy Isla of TV Maria while Ms. Pie Fenomeno of Communication Foundation Asia (CFA) shared her expertise in cinematography and production design.

The SOCOM General Assembly is a quarterly meeting of all social communication ministers of all the parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila who are encouraged to participate actively in the programs of the commission whose aim is to help them organize, educate, and motivate to become co-operators in its mission of evangelization making use of the different social media as its platforms.

Last December 1, the ACSC conducted its last assembly for the year 2018 with an advent recollection and Christmas party held at the fourth floor of the Arzobispado de Manila. (Jheng M. Prado / RCAM-AOC)

A Eucharistic celebration led by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle was held to highlight the third Walk for Life at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, on February 16, 2019, from 4 to 8 in the morning.

Photo Credit: CBCPNews

Delivering his homily in front of thousands of people gathered for the event, Cardinal Tagle commended the active participation of the youth in this activity.

“There cannot be any walk for life that doesn’t at the same time affirm the dignity, humanity of every woman chosen by God to be the human expression of God’s tender compassion and love, the love that gives life,” he added.

Cardinal Tagle also stated that after a child was born, he enters into a new womb called family including other different kinds of womb such as neighbors, schools, parishes, and communities.These wounds according to him should continue to nourish a person especially his spiritual life.

“Today let our families and other communities that play the role of families to commit themselves to be the nurturing spaces of life and especially the life faith, life of decency, life of values. Kasama yan sa pinangangalagaan, dinidiligan at ipinapasanabuhay,” Cardinal said.

Another point that the Archbishop of Manila stresses is the womb called a wider society that has “a heart that beats with empathy.”

“A society that is a womb that is alert to the hungers, the thirst, the misery of peoples and not just from the external observance of some rules and obligations but from the heart, really moved with compassion,” Cardinal Tagle said.

At the end of his homily, Cardinal Tagle encouraged the faithful to build a womb where families and society work together to nourish its people with the intervention of the Blessed Mother.

“Sana po katulad ng Mahal na Ina, the model of the church, ang ating simbahan, ang ating sambayan ang Kristiyano may really be also a womb of tenderness and love where life is celebrated, life is shared and life becomes a gift not only of God to us but our gift to society and to humanity,” Cardinal Tagle said.

The Walk for Life 2019 was organized by the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on the Laity chaired by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo who also called on the youth to participate actively in the society especially this Year of the Youth.

The event was also celebrated simultaneously in Tarlac, Dagupan, Cebu, Ormoc, and Cagayan de Oro City and in towns of Palo and Palompon, both in Leyte province. (Jheng Prado / RCAM-AOC)

The Archdiocese of Manila celebrated the 27th World Day of the Sick with a Mass presided by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo at The Manila Cathedral on February 11, 2019, commemoration of the Our Lady of Lourdes.

In his homily during the Mass, Bishop Pabillo focused on generosity which is the message of his Holiness Pope Francis for the observation of World Day of the Sick 2019.

World Day of the Sick 2019 (Photo by Lauren Camille Jaring / RCAM-AOC)

The World Day of the Sick was instituted by Pope John Paull II on May 13, 1992. It has been celebrated every year in different places .

This year, it has been celebrated in Kolkota in India with the theme, “You received without payment; give without payment” (Mt. 10:08)

Talking about generosity to the poor, Bishop Pabillo reflected on Saint Mother Teresa’s pure love and care for the poor especially the sick. This woman from Calcutta is a symbol of charity who had expressed and shown God’s love and mercy to mankind.

Aside from the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the Archdiocese of Manila marked the event with the anointing of the sick and a medical mission in Sto. Niño de Baseco in Port Area, Manila.

The event was in coordination with the Archdiocese of Manila-Ministry on Health Care headed by Fr. Manuel Abogado III and the Philippine Association Sovereign Military Order of Malta. (Jheng Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Homily delivered by Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos, D.D. during Mass for the International Day of Awareness and Prayer against Human Trafficking at The Manila Cathedral on February 8, 2019.

Today our Church celebrates the memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita. Today is also the International day of Awareness and Prayer for Human Trafficking.

Saint Josephine was a victim of human trafficking, and now as patron saint of those who suffered from human trafficking. At an early age she was a happy and promising child from Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan, Africa. But she was kidnapped by Arab slave traders and sold her a slave market in El Obeid. From then on she was sold a dozen times. She was forced to manual labor, taken as a slave and considered as a disposal property.

Bishop Ruperto Santos of the Diocese of Balanga delivers his homily during PACOM 4 (Photo by Laureen Camille Jaring)

As a commodity, the young Josephine was bought by a Turkish family where she was cruelly verbally and physically abused. She was beaten daily as she recalled that as soon as one wound would heal, they would inflict another.

The Turkish general sold her to the Italian vice-consul, Callisto Legani. The family was kind and compassionate to her. At the end of the tenure of the vice-consul, Josephine begged then to take her to Italy.

She was given away to another family. When her new family decided to return to Sudan because of business dealings, Josephine was given to the custody of Canossian sisters in Venice. And there she was introduced to God, baptized Josephine and later on became religious sister. On the evening of February 8, 1947, Josephine spoke her last words, “Our Lady, Our Lady.”

She was raised to the altar of God on October 1, 2000, as Saint Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of Sudan.

In today’s gospel, a young girl, the daughter of Herodias was used and abused to perform a dance for her birthday of King Herod (v21). They took advantage of her innocence for the personal interest and for their political benefits.

From the bitter experience of Saint Josephine as human trafficked, sold and became slave and from the unnamed daughter in today’s gospel, we can conclude that it is not age which lead then to pain or sin but the people behind them. It is the people around them who made them suffered or forced them to do bad things. And it is very tragic and ironic these were the people from their and house and in the government offices.

Children are not for sale. People are more important than profits. Children are not commodity. People are not objects, nor tools for pleasure they are human persons. Children are precious. Children are precious, very special and so important. They are for us God’s gift.

Life is sacred. Life should always be spared and saved. We don’t sacrifice life. We do sacrifices for life. Pope Francis says “let us pray loudly because there are children that are hungry, that are thirsty, don’t have medicine and their live in danger.”

And so together with our common prayers is our united effort to protect them, to promote their rights and prevent them from anyone or anything that will destroy their future and lives. Who are they? These two kinds of people mentioned in today’s gospel.

1. Modern day Herod, those who misused and abused their power and position

2. Modern day Herodias, those who have not been true to their divine calling as parents and guardians to their children.

First. They are the new Herod, who just to prolong their terms and tenures will spread fake news and will never speak of truth, nor to defend it. They are those, who just to stay in power and acquire privileges will sacrifice morality.

Authority is given to us for the service of our people. Service to our people is to protect them from death and destruction, to preserve and promote their rights and dignity. God gives and takes away. There is no absolute power. Only God is absolute. We are all responsible before God. We will give accounting to Him. And God will surely ask us “where is your brother?” (Genesis 4, 9).

Second. They are new Herodias, who just to continue illicit ways and immoral dealings are willing not only to endanger their children but will force them to commit sin. Thus reflecting deeper it is not the children whom they have to arrest and label as in conflict with the law but those who trafficked them for drugs, sex and human organs. Those who have to be investigated, prosecuted and punished are those who do abortions, those who made children suffered due to shameful Dengvaxia vaccines, and those who made use of their children to beg along streets.

Indeed it is very tragic and so saddening that those who are in power and even parents do and decide again for another “head of Saint John the Baptist” (Mark 6, 24).

In an act to uphold the dignity of human life, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Laity through its lay arm, the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas will hold another Walk for Life on February 16, 2019, at the Liwasang Aurora, Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City from 4 to 8 in the morning.

Carrying the theme, Walk for Life 2019: A choice to uphold human life and human dignity, the event will be held simultaneously in Tarlac, Dagupan, Cebu, Ormoc and Cagayan de Oro City and in towns of Palo and Palompon, both in Leyte province.

The Manila Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church recently concluded the 2018 MACC Painting Competition with the awarding and exhibit of entry winners and finalists, held last January 25, 2019, at the Museo ng Arkidiyosesis ng Maynila.

First Prize

The panel of judges for this year’s competition comes from the art and cultural heritage community: Cebu-born artist Romulo Galicano is a distinguished portrait artist known for his technically academic works. He won the grand prize at the International Portrait Competition of the Portrait Society of America, among his other awards, and has done numerous solo exhibitions both locally and overseas. Another judge, Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II is a practicing lawyer and visual artist who is a member of the Saturday Group of Artists. Atty. Rojas was previously Vice-Chairman and General Manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and chair of the Philippine Racing Commission. He is currently an opinion columnist for the Business Mirror and Pilipino Mirror, and a 2014 awardee of People Asia’s ‘Men Who Matter’. The next judge is Corazon Alvina, who is currently director of the Museo ng Kaalamang Katutubo. She was previously director of the National Museum of the Philippines (2001-2010), and has served as chairman of the Asia-Europe Museums Network (2005-2007), chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan committee, a three-term governing board member of the SEAMEO Project for Archeology and Fine Arts (SPAFA) in Bangkok, and president of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (1991-2001). The last juror, Joselina Cruz, is the director and curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD), De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Manila. Ms. Cruz previously worked as a curator for the Lopez Museum and Singapore Art Museum. She was also curator of the 2nd Singapore Biennale (2008), 13th Jakarta Biennale (2009), and curated the Philippine Pavilion for the 57th Venice Biennale.

The first prize was won by Miguel Emmanuel Borbor from First City Providential College, with his entry entitled, “Pananampalataya: Daluyan ng Buhay at Pag-asa”. The second prize was given to Justine Olivarez from the Philippine Normal University with his entry, ”Bata Bata Paano Awa Ginawa”. The third prize winner was Louis Rafael Espinosa from the University of Santo Tomas with his title entry, “Para Sa Poong Nazareno”.

Three Jurors’ Choice awards were given to Aldrin Tamidles from the Technological University of the Philippines for his entry, “The Last Suffer”, and students from the Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, namely, Joegan Espina for his entry, “Paniniwala at Pinagpala´ and John Hernandez for his entry, “Stations of the Cross”.

Now on its 12th year, the MACC Annual Painting Competition seeks to engage young artists in contemporary artistic interpretations of the Catholic faith and to promote awareness and appreciation of religious art. (MACC)

Homily delivered by Pope Francis during Mass in Abu Dhabi's Zayed Sports City on February 5, 2019, the last day of his Apostolic Journey to the United Arab Emirates.

Blessed: this is the word with which Jesus begins his preaching in Matthew’s Gospel. And it is the refrain he repeats today, as if to fix in our hearts, more than anything, an essential message: if you are with Jesus, if you love to listen to his word as the disciples of that time did, if you try to live out this word every day, then you are blessed. Not you will be blessed, but you are blessed; this is the first truth we know about the Christian life. It is not simply a list of external prescriptions to fulfil or a set of teachings to know. The Christian life, first and foremost, is not this; rather, it is the knowledge that, in Jesus, we are the Father’s beloved children. The Christian life means living out the joy of this blessedness, wanting to live life as a love story, the story of God’s faithful love, he who never abandons us and wishes to be in communion with us always. This is the reason for our joy, a joy that no one in the world and no circumstance in our lives can take from us. It is a joy that gives peace also in the midst of pain, a joy that already makes us participate in that eternal happiness which awaits us. Dear brothers and sisters, in the joy of meeting you, this is the word I have come to say to you: blessed!

Photo Credit: Vatican News

Even as Jesus calls his own disciples blessed, we are yet struck by the reasons for the individual Beatitudes. We see in them an overturning of that popular thinking, according to which it is the rich and the powerful who are blessed, those who are successful and acclaimed by the crowds. For Jesus, on the other hand, blessed are the poor, the meek, those who remain just even at the cost of appearing in a bad light, those who are persecuted. Who is correct here: Jesus or the world? To understand this, let us look at how Jesus lived: poor in respect to things, but wealthy in love; he healed so many lives, but did not spare his own. He came to serve and not to be served; he taught us that greatness is not found in having but rather in giving. Just and meek, he did not offer resistance, but allowed himself to be condemned unjustly. In this way Jesus brought God’s love into the world. Only in this way did he defeat death, sin, fear and even worldliness: only by the power of divine love. Let us together ask here today for the grace of rediscovering the attraction of following Jesus, of imitating him, of not seeking anyone else but him and his humble love. For here is the meaning of our life: in communion with him and in our love for others. Do you believe in this?

I have also come to say thank you for the way in which you live the Gospel we heard. People say that the difference between the written Gospel and the lived Gospel is the same difference between written music and performed music. You who are here know the Gospel’s tune and you follow its rhythm with enthusiasm. You are a choir composed of numerous nations, languages and rites; a diversity that the Holy Spirit loves and wants to harmonize ever more, in order to make a symphony. This joyful polyphony of faith is a witness that you give everyone and that builds up the Church. It struck me what Bishop Hinder once said: that he not only feels himself to be your shepherd, but that you, by your example, are often shepherds to him.

To live the life of the blessed and following the way of Jesus does not, however, mean always being cheerful. Someone who is afflicted, who suffers injustice, who does everything he can to be a peacemaker, knows what it means to suffer. It is most certainly not easy for you to live far from home, missing the affection of your loved ones, and perhaps also feeling uncertainty about the future. But the Lord is faithful and does not abandon his people. A story from the life of Saint Anthony the Abbot, the great founder of monasticism in the desert, may be helpful to us. He left everything for the Lord and found himself in the desert. There, for a time, he was immersed in a bitter spiritual struggle that gave him no peace; he was assaulted by doubts and darkness, and even by temptation to give in to nostalgia and regrets about his earlier life. But then, after all this torment the Lord consoled him, and Saint Anthony asked him: “Where were you? Why did you not appear before to free me from my suffering?” But then he clearly heard Jesus’ answer: “I was here, Anthony” (Saint Athanasius, Vita Antonii, 10). The Lord is close. It can happen that, when faced with fresh sorrow or a difficult period, we think we are alone, even after all the time we have spent with the Lord. But in those moments, where he might not intervene immediately, he walks at our side. And if we continue to go forward, he will open up a new way for us; for the Lord specializes in doing new things; he can even open paths in the desert (cf. Is 43:19).

Dear brothers and sisters, I want to tell you that living out the Beatitudes does not require dramatic gestures. Look at Jesus: he left nothing written, built nothing imposing. And when he told us how to live, he did not ask us to build great works or draw attention to ourselves with extraordinary gestures. He asked us to produce just one work of art, possible for everyone: our own life. The Beatitudes are thus a roadmap for our life: they do not require superhuman actions, but rather the imitation of Jesus in our everyday life. They invite us to keep our hearts pure, to practice meekness and justice despite everything, to be merciful to all, to live affliction in union with God. This is the holiness of daily life, one that has no need of miracles or of extraordinary signs. The Beatitudes are not for supermen, but for those who face up to the challenges and trials of each day. Those who live out the Beatitudes according to Jesus are able to cleanse the world. They are like a tree that even in the wasteland absorbs polluted air each day and gives back oxygen. It is my hope that you will be like this, rooted in Jesus and ready to do good to those around you. May your communities be oases of peace.

Finally, I would like to consider for a moment two of the Beatitudes. First: “Blessed are the meek” (Mt 5:5). Those who attack or overpower others are not blessed, but rather those that uphold Jesus’ way of acting, he who saved us, and who was meek even towards his accusers. I like to quote Saint Francis, when he gave his brothers instructions about approaching the Saracens and non-Christians. He wrote: “Let them not get into arguments or disagreements, but be subject to every human creature out of love for God, and let them profess that they are Christians” (Regula Non Bullata, XVI). Neither arguments nor disagreements: at that time, as many people were setting out, heavily armed, Saint Francis pointed out that Christians set out armed only with their humble faith and concrete love. Meekness is important: if we live in the world according to the ways of God, we will become channels of his presence; otherwise, we will not bear fruit.

Second: “Blessed are the peacemakers” (v. 9). The Christian promotes peace, starting with the community where he or she lives. In the Book of Revelation, among the communities that Jesus himself addresses, there is one, namely Philadelphia, that I think bears a likeness to you. It is a Church which, unlike almost all the others, the Lord does not reproach for anything. Indeed, that Church kept Jesus’ word without renouncing his name and persevered, went forward, even in the midst of difficulties. There is also a significant detail: the name Philadelphia means brotherly love. Fraternal love. Thus a Church which perseveres in Jesus’ word and fraternal love is pleasing to the Lord and bears fruit. I ask for you the grace to preserve peace, unity, to take care of each other, with that beautiful fraternity in which there are no first or second class Christians.

May Jesus, who calls you blessed, give you the grace to go forward without becoming discouraged, abounding in love “to one another and to all” (1 Thess 3:12). (Source: Vatican News)

The Archdiocese of Manila through its Chancery office has released a prayer for the victims of the bombing in Jolo Cathedral on January 31, 2019.

In a circular letter addressed to all the priests, chaplains and religious, Rev. Fr. Reginald Malicdem, Chancellor, asked them to include the victims and their families in prayer.

“As an expression of our solidarity to the victims of the Jolo Cathedral bombing last Sunday, January 27, to those who are injured and those who died, their families, and the community of Jolo, may we ask that this intention be included in the Prayer of the faithful of our Masses, especially on Sunday, February 3, 2019,” Fr. Malicdem said.

On January 27, 2019, at 8:30 a.m., a bomb exploded inside the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral. After a few minutes, another bomb exploded at the parking lot of the cathedral.

The Archdiocese of Manila issued a statement saying: “The bombing in the Cathedral of Jolo and in the parking area is senseless because it is inhuman”.

In solidarity with the victims and their families, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle assured them of prayers and assistance with their needs.

“We in the Archdiocese of Manila unite ourselves with the civilians and military personnel who died. You are in our prayer. Be assured that you will be given divine justice. We are one with the families of the dead and the wounded and the community of Jolo. You have a family in us. We are ready to assist you in your needs,” Cardinal Tagle said.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) was on a plenary assembly in Manila when they received the news from Fr. Romeo S. Saniel, OMI, Apostolic Administrator of Jolo. They also issued a statement condemning the explosion as “an act of terrorism”. (Jheng Prado / RCAM-AOC)

His Holiness Pope Francis celebrated the concluding Mass for the 34th World Youth Day in Panama on Sunday, January 27, 2019.

Delivering his homily in front of the thousands of pilgrims from the different parts of the world, Pope Francis has called on the young people to express themselves and to actively participate in the mission of evangelization.

Photo Credit: Vatican News

Pope Francis said that the youth of today is “the now of God.”

“You, dear young people, are not the future but the now of God. He invites you and calls you in your communities and cities to go out and find your grandparents, your elders; to stand up and with them to speak out and realize the dream that the Lord has dreamed for you,” Pope Francis said.Reflecting on the Gospel of Luke, Pope Francis said: “This is the now of God. It becomes present with Jesus: it has a face, it is flesh. It is a merciful love that does not wait for ideal or perfect situations to show itself, nor does it accept excuses for its appearance. It is God’s time, that makes every situation and place both right and proper. In Jesus, the promised future begins and becomes life.”

He also took note of the beautiful message of the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops last October 2018 with the theme "Young People, Faith, and Vocational Discernment". He encouraged each one to meet and listen to one another.

“The enrichment of intergenerational dialogue, the enrichment of exchange and the value of realizing that we need one another, that we have to work to create channels and spaces that encourage dreaming of and working for tomorrow, starting today,” he said.

Earlier, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle led a morning catechesis with the theme “I am the Servant of the Lord”. It was held at the Parish of Cristo Redentor in Panama City where young pilgrims from California, Austria, Zimbabwe, and the Philippines participated.

Vatican News reported that the Filipinos’ excitement was partly motivated by the presence of Cardinal Tagle who said that the “young people everywhere are more attracted to direct actions of service and charity”.

“Let them experience service of neighbour, and let their hearts burn with service. Then you invite them to the “naming” of that experience,” Cardinal Tagle told the Vatican News.

During the concluding Mass, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, announced that the 2022 World Youth Day will be in Lisbon, Portugal.

The 2019 World Youth Day was held from January 22-27, 2019, with the theme, “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”. (Jheng Prado / RCAM-AOC)

Focusing on the Divine Mercy of God, Rev. Fr. Ernesto Panelo, Spiritual Director of Divine Mercy shared the ABC of Mercy that devotees of the Divine Mercy should carry in their heart as they live each day of their lives.

He also reminded the young and old Divine Mercy devotees that their faith is deepened and strengthened when they admit and submit themselves to the fact that they need God’s mercy.

He also told the Archdiocese of Manila – Office of Communications that true devotion to the Divine Mercy is not only through the chaplet and the image. Rather, those serve as reminders that God’s mercy overflows.

Every election period is a promise of better times or a foreboding of what is worse to come. The choice is in our hands. It is as if God is telling us “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live.” (Deut 30:19).

Photo Credit: Roi Lagarde / CBCPNews

The year 2019 is not just an ordinary election year. The midterm election on May 13 is in itself already crucial. In our country today the checks and balances in the government are being undermined. So far the Senate is the institution in the government that is holding out as our country is inching towards total control. It is very crucial therefore that we elect public officials who are principled, courageous and who have the common good as their main concern and not their own political interests. We encourage voters to be very discerning in their votes. Let the lay groups engage in discernment circles to help one another know the candidates well and choose the candidates with the common good of the whole country in mind and not according to what the candidates promise, much less according to what voters have received from these candidates. Participation in politics for Christian lay people is not just to be limited to non-partisan involvement. Christians are also encouraged to engage in principled partisan politics. This means that they can campaign for good candidates as an exercise of their Christian faith.

However, more than the elections, another serious, and perhaps more insidious, matter that we should pay attention to is the threat the version of constitutional change and federalism approved by the Lower House and now being dangled to the senators. It takes away the term limits of most of the elected officials and allows political dynasties to continue. It opens the national resources to foreign ownership and eventual control. Its version of federalism is vague and it will do away with the 2019 elections.

We denounce any attempt to avoid the 2019 elections. This right of the people to vote should not be shelved. We reiterate what we have taught before: “If the Constitution is to be revised at all, the process should lead to a greater defense and promotion of the moral values of human dignity and human rights, integrity and truth, participation and solidarity, and the common good.” (CBCP PASTORAL GUIDELINES FOR DISCERNING THE MORAL DIMENSION OF THE PRESENT-DAY MOVES FOR CHARTER CHANGE issued on January 29, 2018) We do not see the proposed revised constitution approved by the Lower House as an improvement of the 1987 constitution but is a self-serving attempt of present politicians to remain in power. We stand by what we have stated in the aforementioned letter: “As servant leaders, we have listened to many others who believe that the solution to our problems is not a revision of the Constitution, but a full implementation of the 1987 Constitution (e.g., on political dynasties & on freedom of information), and a revision of the Local Government Code, originally designed to devolve power from central authority.”

Our dear People of God, we are in a crucial moment of our history. In our hands is the direction of our country. Let us be vigilant in what is happening. Let us not just be on-lookers but let us be involved. Pope Benedict said: “A big part of the vocation of Christian lay people is their participation in politics in order to bring justice, honesty and defense of true and authentic values, and to contribute to the real human and spiritual good of society. The role of the laity in the temporal order, and especially in politics, is key for the evangelization of society.” (Pope Benedict XVI on receiving the Bishops of Paraguay in September 2008) Pope Francis taught: "‘A good Catholic doesn’t meddle in politics.’ That’s not true. That is not a good path. A good Catholic meddles in politics, offering the best of himself, so that those who govern can govern…. None of us can say, ‘I have nothing to do with this, how they govern.’ … No, no, I am responsible for their governance, and I have to do the best so that they govern well, and I have to do my best by participating in politics according to my ability.” (Pope Francis September 16, 2013) Furthermore, we heed the appeal of Pope Francis in his message on the World Day of Prayer for Peace of this year that good politics is at the service of peace.

No one can say in this age of the social media that she/he cannot participate in politics. Each of us can let our voice be heard and be a part of national conversation by posting our views in the social media, but with great respect for others and with the end of advancing the truth. We especially encourage the youth whose future is very much at stake to participate in the electoral process especially by using their skills and knowledge of the social media to advance what is true, what is just, and what is for the common good.

Let the common good be the aim of our politicians and let the common good be the basis of our choice for our next set of public officials, then truly, “love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss” (Ps 85:11) in our land.

“Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

Our dear People of God,

Peace be with you. We are aware that many of you have been wondering why your bishops have kept a collective silence over many disturbing issues, about which you may have felt you urgently needed our spiritual and pastoral guidance. Forgive us for the length of time that it took us to find our collective voice. We too needed to be guided properly in prayer and discernment before we could guide you.

Photo Credit: CBCPNews

RESPONDING WITH SILENCE

For the past few months now, we have observed how the culture of violence has gradually prevailed in our land. The recent bombing of the cathedral of Jolo where scores of people were killed and several more were injured is a further evidence to the cycle of hate that is destroying the moral fabric of our country. Lately, we have also been on the receiving end of cruel words that pierce into the soul of the Catholic Church like sharp daggers. From deep within, the body of Christ is crying out in anguish as he did to Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus. (Acts 9:4) We have silently noted these painful instances with deep sorrow and prayed over them. We have taken our cue from Pope Francis who tells us that in some instances, “…the best response is silence and prayer.”

FAITH: OUR PEOPLE’S SOURCE OF STRENGTH

We respect the freedom of conscience and religion of people of other faiths, including former Catholic Christians who may have already renounced their faith. We also respect the freedom of expression of our fellow citizens in this country, including their personal opinions about faith and religion. But as far as we know, the freedom of expression does not include a license to insult other people’s faith, especially our core beliefs. We know that this cuts deeply into the souls of our people—especially the poor, because faith is the only thing they have to hold on to. It gives them hope and strength to continue living and working despite all the odds that come their way. It sustains them when they feel alone and defenseless in foreign lands where they work.

When people do not understand our essential doctrines as Roman Catholic Christians, we have also ourselves to blame. It could also mean we have failed in our preaching. Perhaps we have not been effective enough in our catechesis about the faith? Perhaps we should find better and more appropriate ways of communicating the faith. Our preparation for the celebration of the 500th year of Christianity in the Philippines could serve as a perfect opportunity to embark on a renewed integral evangelization in word and witness.

ADMITTING OUR SHORTCOMINGS

Like the leaders and members of any other human institution, no doubt, we, your bishops and priests have our own share of failures and shortcomings as well. We have already mentioned in our previous statement that “we bow in shame when we hear of abuses committed by some of (us)...”, that “we hold ourselves accountable for their actions, and accept our duty to correct them...”

NOT AGAINST FIGHTING ILLEGAL DRUGS

There are people who, perhaps out of concern for us, have warned us about being critical of the government’s fight against illegal drugs. Perhaps we need to make ourselves clear about this issue. We are not against the government’s efforts to fight illegal drugs. We do respect the fact that it is the government’s duty to maintain law and order and to protect its citizens from lawless elements. We have long acknowledged that illegal drugs are a menace to society and that their easier victims are the poor. Like most other Filipinos we had high hopes that the government would truly flex some political will to be able to use the full force of the law in working against this terrible menace. It was when we started hearing of mostly poor people being brutally murdered on mere suspicion of being small-time drug users and peddlers while the big-time smugglers and drug lords went scot-free, that we started wondering about the direction this “drug war” was taking.

As bishops, we have no intention of interfering in the conduct of State affairs. But neither do we intend to abdicate our sacred mandate as shepherds to whom the Lord has entrusted his flock. We have a solemn duty to defend our flock, especially when they are attacked by wolves(!) We do not fight with arms. We fight only with the truth. Therefore, no amount of intimidation or even threat to our lives will make us give up our prophetic role, especially that of giving voice to the voiceless. As Paul once said, “Woe to me if I don’t preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16)

GOD’S IMAGE AND LIKENESS

Our faith informs us that no human being in this world deserves to be treated as a “non-human”, not even the mentally ill, or those born with disabilities. This is consistent with our defense of the right to life even of the unborn, because we believe that all human beings are creatures in God’s image and likeness, imbued with an innate dignity. We also must consider the right to life of people who are brutally murdered just because they are suspected of being opponents of government, as well as those who are summarily executed by armed groups. Everyone in the civilized community of nations would agree that even those who may have committed criminal offenses should be treated in a humane way, even as justice demands that they be held accountable for their actions.

SAVE THE CHILDREN

There is no way we can call ourselves a civilized society if we hold children in conflict with the law criminally liable. Children who get involved in crimes, such as those who are used as runners by adult drug pushers, do not deserve to be treated as criminals; they are victims that need to be rescued. It is obvious that most children in conflict with the law come from very poor families and were born and raised in an environment of abuse. We beg our country’s legislators to give the bills they are drafting some serious rethinking and consider the greater harm that such a move can cause on the young people of our country. We commend the initiatives to improve the Bahay-Pag-asa shelters for the care of children in conflict with the law.

THE PERSPECTIVE OF MERCY

Being civilized is not just about more advanced technology and infrastructure but about being more humane to the poor, the weak, the disadvantaged, the elderly, the children, those with special needs and all those who tend to be left out in society. We are not just creatures endowed with intelligence and guided by the evolutionary instincts of “survival of the fittest”. What makes us more superior as creatures is not our impulse to dominate each other but our innate sensitivity and capacity to love, to respect, to care for one another, to be both just and merciful, to be compassionate, to build community and to be genuinely concerned about the common good. The law of retaliation that demands “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Exodus 21:24) has long been repudiated in Christian tradition. As Christians, we have to learn the way of Jesus who says, “Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful.”(Luke 6:36)

CONQUERING EVIL WITH GOOD

More than ever, as members of the Church, we must realize that our strength lies in keeping our communities of faith intact. We must educate the faithful in the application of their conscience to the complex and myriad problems of life — in the choice of leaders, in the exercise of their vocation as citizens, in the raising of families, in their work and chosen professions, in the efforts to care for the environment, etc. Our faith must try to hold these different aspects of life together into an integral whole — letting conscience speak its wisdom consistently in every aspect of our life.

Finally, we reiterate what we said in the previous statement that “the battles that we fight are spiritual.” (Ephesians 6:10-17). In the midst of spiritual warfare, St. Peter admonishes us to “be sober and alert” especially when the enemy attacks “like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) As members of God’s flock, we must learn to be brave, to stick together, and look after one another. Let this moment be a time to pray, to be strong, wise, and committed. Let this be also a teaching moment for us all—a moment for relearning the core beliefs, principles and values of our faith, and what it means to be a Catholic Christian at this time.

The bombing in the Cathedral of Jolo and in the parking area is senseless because it is inhuman. That it happened during the Eucharistic celebration on a Sunday, the commemoration of Jesus’ triumph over death, makes it abominable because it violates the sense of God present in every human heart. Shock, anger and sadness envelope our hearts. What has happened to humanity? Is there no more room for decency and conscience?

We in the Archdiocese of Manila unite ourselves with the civilians and military personnel who died. You are in our prayer. Be assured that you will be given divine justice. We are one with the families of the dead and the wounded and the community of Jolo. You have a family in us. We are ready to assist you in your needs.

We urge those who planned and executed this brutal act to ask forgiveness of God and humanity, to leave behind their destructive ways and to start a new life of truthfulness, justice and love befitting true human beings. We call on all Filipinos, especially Catholics and Christians not to abandon our commitment to peace. Only good can combat evil. Instead of being discouraged, let us strengthen our resolve to work for peace based on justice, truth, love and respect for human life and dignity. Let us multiply good and honorable thoughts, sentiments, words and actions. Let us not abandon our efforts to dialogue with people who differ from us. Bridges are more useful than walls. We affirm our faith in Jesus who is our peace and reconciliation. As Jesus accepted death with and for us, so will the dead, the wounded and our people rise again with and for Jesus. Mary, Mother of hope, walk with us.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) condemns the bombing of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo during Sunday Mass.

In a statement released by CBCP on January 27, 2019, CBCP President and Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles said that they received the sad news from Fr. Romeo S. Saniel, OMI, Apostolic Administrator of Jolo.

Photos from Western Command Mindanao

The Catholic bishops were gathered in Manila for the 118 plenary assembly. They have included in their prayers the victims, their relatives, and prayed to bring an end to violence.

“We condole with the families of the several soldiers and civilians who were killed by the explosions. We also express our sympathies with those who were wounded and extend our solidarity with the rest of the church-goers inside the Cathedral and the rest of the church community in the Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo,” Archbishop Valles said.

According to CBCPNews, at 8:30 a.m., a bomb exploded inside the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral. A few seconds later, another bomb exploded at the parking lot of the cathedral.

CBCP also condemned this “act of terrorism” that took place only a few days after the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

There were 27 people killed and dozens were injured in the incident.

The Catholic bishops asked the Christians to “join hands with all peace-loving Muslim and indigenous people in the advocacy against violent extremism” as the region begins a new phase in the peace process.

“May all our religions of peace guide us in our quest for a brighter future for the peoples of Mindanao,” they said. (Jheng M. Prado / RCAM-AOC)

We, Catholic Bishops gathered in our Plenary Assembly in Manila, received today the sad news from Fr. Romeo S. Saniel, OMI, Apostolic Administrator of Jolo, of the bombing of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo during the Sunday Mass.

We condole with the families of the several soldiers and civilians who were killed by the explosions. We also express our sympathies with those who were wounded and extend our solidarity with the rest of the church-goers inside the Cathedral and the rest of the church community in the Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo.

Photo credit: CBCPNews

At the same time, we condemn this act of terrorism that has taken place only a few days after the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

As we begin a new phase in the peace process with the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM), we ask our Christian brethren to join hands with all peace-loving Muslim and Indigenous People communities in the advocacy against violent extremism.

May all our religions of peace guide us in our quest for a brighter future for the peoples of Mindanao.

Filipino Catholics and devotees will have another chance to honor and venerate the heart relic of St. Camillus de Lellis, patron saint of the sick, doctors, nurses and other health workers, as it will be in the country from February 2 to March 31, 2019.The heart relic of the Founder of the New School of Charity and the Ministers of the Infirm, also known as the Camillians, first visited the country in 2013 when it stayed for almost a month from February 18 to March 10.

The sacred relic will arrive on Feb. 2 at NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City and will proceed via a motorcade to Our Lady of La Paz Parish in Makati City where it will stay until Feb. 4. It will then journey across the country’s various parishes and several hospitals. The complete schedule and itinerary of the relic’s visit are available via the social media channel and website of the Camillians.

The Camillians are known for their dedication and commitment in serving and taking care of the sick particularly the poor. Likewise, they also care for the welfare of their partners and collaborators particularly healthcare workers and providers. The Camillians are active in ministries like hospitals and hospital chaplaincy, parishes, pastoral centers, homes for the aged, lepers, community-based health and rehabilitation centers, HIV/AIDS centers, and other healthcare centers or where the sick are present.

“The visit of St. Camillus’ heart relic provides a perfect opportunity for all of us to give importance to the humanization of health care in the country, to place our sick brothers and sisters at the center of care and not leave them on the margins, and for all healthcare providers and carers of the sick to renew their dedication and commitment in loving and serving the sick,” said Fr. Dan Vicente Cancino Jr., MI, Chairman of the Journey of the Heart 2.0.

St. Camillus himself in his lifetime had an experience being sick as he had a sore in his leg that would not heal, and spent a lot of time in hospitals where he also later on served as a caregiver. The experience made him realize that God called him to serve the sick. It also led him to establish a religious congregation dedicated solely to care for the sick—the Ministers of the Sick, popularly known today as the Camillians.

Cancino shares, “Like St. Camillus, we are encouraged to put our hearts into the care and service we provide to the sick, akin to caring and serving Christ Himself. And in doing so, the sick will feel the presence of God, through us.”

St. Camillus’ heart was taken an hour after his death on July 14, 1614, and the relic is enshrined at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Rome, Italy, where he was buried. The relic of the heart of St. Camillus is contained in a crystal glass in the shape of a heart. The crystal glass measures 11 cm (height), 10 cm (width) and 7 cm (depth) (tridimensional view).

“St. Camillus’ heart relic really has such spiritual symbolism. The most common being that the heart is the universal symbol of love. And even his last breath, St. Camillus’ heart was in the service of the sick. For him, to serve the sick is to serve Christ Himself,” cited Fr. Dan.

The reliquary that holds the crystal glass evokes an old, classical style temple. Four Doric pillars are the base and support the dome on top of which stands the Cross, symbol of the Order of St. Camillus. In the inner part of the temple-like, two angels support the crystal glass with elegance and gentleness, leaning forward as if presenting the Relic to the faithful.

The “new school of charity” that St. Camillus established has been touching the hearts of people and loving the sick in 42 countries all over the world, including the Philippines. Camillian presence in the Philippines started in 1974 and the Philippine Province of the Camillian Order was formally established on July 1, 2003.

Presently, they exercise their ministry in Luzon (Quezon City, Makati, Marikina, Pasig, Antipolo and Baguio City), in the Visayas (Calbayog and Balugo, Dumanguete), and in Mindanao (Davao City and Mati, Davao, Oriental).

Cardinal Tagle has encouraged the young and old people in PACOM 4 celebration for two things: Listen to the youth's experience of mercy and listen to Jesus.

In a video message played during the opening ceremony of the 4th Philippine Apostolic Congress of Mercy (PACOM 4), Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle who is in Panama for the World Youth Day celebration, emphasized that the young people’s experience of God’s mercy be heard, for they are the center of the celebration.

“Una, let us listen to the Youth. During this PACOM, let the youth speak, not only to the elders, speak to themselves, and speak to the whole church. Let us listen to their experiences of Mercy, how were they shaped and formed by mercy and compassion from God and from neighbor and from the church. Let us listen to them also, how they have been broken, how they have been wounded by the lack of mercy,” Cardinal Tagle said.

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao / RCAM-AOC

After listening to the different stories of transformation and compassion, Cardinal Tagle asked the people to listen to Jesus who is the “incarnation of mercy.”

“Let us listen to Jesus’ experience as a young person. How did mercy come to him especially through Mary, through Joseph, through his friends, through society. What were the experiences of the lack of mercy, the lack of compassion, the lack of forgiveness, the injustice, the discrimination that the young Jesus saw, and how did he transformed to be God’s living parable of mercy,” Cardinal Tagle said.

Despite the joy of the celebration of PACOM 4 where the young people are the focus of attention, Cardinal Tagle cannot hide his disappointment on the present situation of the youth in the country. The children should be enjoying their childhood with the love and comfort of their families and friends. But at an early age, they are already victims of suffering, brokenness, and woundedness from the people who supposed to be their guide and protector from the evils of society.

“I am very much bothered when we hear young people subjective to all types of abusive behavior. I am amazed and to unbelief that some of them still survived as wholesome human beings in spite of what they have gone through. I am disturbed that young people are being subjected to violence, bullying, shaming, and they are being told that is normal.

At the end of his message, he asked the faithful to heed the call of the Church to be “missionaries of mercy.”

On Wednesday, on its second reading, the House of Representatives approved the bill that seeks to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 9 years old.

The said bill received criticisms from various groups and institutions in the country. (Jheng Manalang Prado / RCAM-AOC)

Homily delivered by Bishop Ruperto Santos of the Diocese of Balanga during the Opening Mass for the 4th Philippine Apostolic Congress on Mercy (PACOM 4) held at the Filoil Center Flying V Arena in San Juan City on January 24, 2019.

My brothers and sisters, have you asked yourselves. What are we going to tell to our young people? What are we going to impart to them? As we gather together for this Fourth Philippine Apostolic Congress on Mercy, let us remind our young people who Jesus is. Jesus is Divine Mercy. Divine Mercy is Jesus. With Jesus, He is telling us three imperatives which are very applicable especially to our young people. What are these?

First. Jesus is always telling us "it is I. Do not be afraid" (John 6,20). The early life of Saint Faustina was of simplicity and of sacrifices. They were poor and the social condition at that time was severe and difficult. She worked hard, even as housemaid. Yes, the young Faustina, baptized at that time Helen, experienced pain and sufferings. Yet she was firm and steadfast with her Catholic faith, reaffirming her conviction, "I will go and serve God because that is what I resolved to do since my childhood, and that I will do."

With the destruction and famine brought about the horrors of the First World War, the Kowalska family was in poverty and destitute. Yet they remained united and strong with their faith in God. In her needs and with uncertain times, Sister Faustina did not lose sight of God, reassuring herself "I had to fulfill my duty toward God."

During her religious formation it was indeed a way of the cross. She was also misunderstood, even ridiculed. Some were indifferent to her, suspicious of her words and actions as illusions. But Sister Faustina remained patient with them, prayerful and even so very penitent. In her great sufferings she called and hold on to God alone. She prayed harder and constantly:

"Help me, o Lord, that my hands may be merciful and fliled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myselfthe more difficult and toilsome tasks.

Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, and overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. May true rest is in the service of my neighbor" (Diary 163).

Days before her death, Sister Faustina was asked "aren't you afraid of death?" She replied "why?" and continued "all my sin and impurities will be consumed like a straw in the fire of the Divine Mercy." She was not afraid of anything, and of anyone. It is because of her complete faith to Jesus, unwavering fidelity to Divine Mercy. Now, my brothers and sisters we pray and repeat: Jesus, I trust in You.

My brothers and sisters, there are calamities. Crimes are recurrent. Even our civil leaders are cruel, morally and physically corrupt. Yet we will not be afraid. Why? It is because of Jesus, whom we turn to and to trust.

When justice is elusive, when life becomes cheap and people suffer so much because of irresponsible and dishonest civil authorities, our hope and help is God's mercy. And we beg of Him, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!" (Luke 18,38).

An OFW returns to her previous employer in Como in Milan. She was asked "what do you feel?" She replied, "I am very nervous and afraid. I think much of my children. But I do and ready for anything for their own good, for their future."

"How are they?" her co-worker in the chaplaincy wanted to know. Rosalinda said, "I left them to my mother. I told to be obedient, to study hard and pray always. And I asked them together with their Lola, whenever they are together to pray the 3 o'clock habit."

She added, "and in my time I also recite the Divine Mercy chaplet to be with them in spirit. This gives me strength and assurance of their safety. We entrust ourselves to Divine Mercy."

Second. Jesus is reminding us "i came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10,10). Jesus wants us safe. He does all to save us. Jesus gives us life, and grants us life eternal with the Father.

In spite of inner conflicts, fear and being frightened because of God's immense works for her, Saint Faustina, professed to Jesus "I am ready for every beck and call of Your will” (Diary 439). She submitted herself completely, her will at the service of Jesus. She spent her time in prayers and fulfilling faithfully her convent duties. And she was very much contented with her life, her oneness with Jesus, attesting from her Diary 609 that "God grants everything that we ask of Him with trust."

Remember our dear young people, that "God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good" (Genesis 1,31). You are all very good, all the very best of Gods' creation. God makes you special. You are with God-given skills and talents. Use them for God's glory and for the good of others. Don't squander them. And don't waste your life.

Life is precious. It is God's gift, entrusted to us to nourish, to take care of it and to cherish. We must not take it for granted, not to abuse or to misuse. Life is to be respected, protected and promoted. Live faithfully and to the fullest.

We don't just exist. Nor just to be present or visible, that is, hindi para lamang mag-pacheck ng attendance. But we have to make the most of our life. Our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis reminds us and especially our young people "the Lord asks everything of us, and in return he offers us true life, the happiness for which we were created. He wants us to be saints and not to settle for a bland and mediocre existence" (GE,1)

Our society offers instant fame and beauty. Some of our people entice us with false adulation, fake news and empty promises. They prompt us to be powerful and to be popular. But all of these would never guarantee meaningful and fulfilled life. All of these will pass away. Let us not forget that only God is eternal. Only God is absolute. Only God matters. And "His mercy endures forever" (Psalm 136,1ff).

Lastly. Saint Paul in second letter to Timothy tells us that he has "fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (4,7). Don't lose your faith. Jesus assures us that He will be always with us. He listens to us, and attends to our needs. Never will He abandon us, nor forsake us. So, let us always have Jesus in our hearts, in our lives. Hold on Him. And remembers affirms "take courage. It is I" (Matthew 14,27).

Saint Faustina fulfilled to the letter everything Jesus commanded her. She did not miss what Jesus said, and continued to follow Him and apply His words in her life and for others. And our Lord Jesus assured her "my daughter, do not be afraid of what will happen to you. I will give you nothing beyond your strength. You know the power of My grace; let that be enough" (Diary 1491).

Saint Faustina spoke of God's mercy and shared His mercy. She lived God's mercy and led others to God's Divine Mercy.

Our dear young people, there are those who attack and undermine our Catholic faith. They even ridiculed and made fun of our religious beliefs. They insulted and dishonor our good God. God cannot be mocked. Saint Faustina heard an interior voice which said "my mercy does not want this but justice demands it" (Diary 20).

Let us persevere with our faith. Let us be patient with them. We resort to prayers and remain polite. Yet let us be firm, faithful and even fearless to speak out and to show our Catholic faith. To them and for them we think of mercy, we speak of mercy and we do mercy. We follow what our Lord Jesus implores of us "be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6,36).

An OFW who lived and worked for almost fourteen years in Rome came to see her chaplain. She wanted to ask for his blessing and to offer Holy Mass. She was about to return home for good. Lourdes, the OFW informed the priest that her children graduated and fully employed. They asked her "Mama, umuwi na po kayo sa amin. Nagbunga na po ang inyong pagpapakasakit para sa amin. Tapos na po ang paghihirap ninyo diyan. Kami naman po ngayon ang mag-aalaga sa inyo."

Recalling her sacrifices and sufferings, and she surpassed all those things, Lourdes admitted to the priest, "Padre, may awa talaga ang Diyos" (God is truly merciful). And now with the successes of her children and they were all safe throughout those years, she credited and acknowledged everything "sa awa ng Diyos" (all because of God's mercy).

My brothers and sisters in Christ, have you asked yourselves. What are we going to tell our young people? Remind them that Jesus is Divine Mercy. Divine Mercy is Jesus. And Jesus is asking them:

Welcome Message (via video) delivered by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal for the Opening Ceremony of the 4th Philippine Apostolic Congress on Mercy held at the Filoil Center Flying V Arena in San Juan City on January 24, 2019.

Good day to all of you my dear brothers and sisters, this is Cardinal Chito Tagle of the Archdiocese of Manila, welcoming all of you to the 4th Philippine Apostolic Congress on Mercy, PACOM 4.

We are very happy in the Archdiocese of Manila, to be able to host this congress, and we want to thank in a special way the wonderful team of Archdiocese especially those who are centered in the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy, Msgr, Albert Salonga, Fr. Jojo Panelo and all of their collaborators, all of you servants ministers of Divine Mercy. We want to extend a special greeting for the delegates who come from other parts of the country.

Una, let us listen to the Youth. During this PACOM, let the youth speak, not only to the elders, speak to themselves, and speak to the whole church. Let us listen to their experiences of Mercy, how were they’re shaped and formed by mercy and compassion from God and from neighbor and from the church. Let us listen to them also, how they have been broken, how they have been wounded by the lack of mercy.

Again, beginning with the family and friends and in the wider society, what are the instruments, the experiences of mercy to the youth where do they find mercy and where do they unfortunately not find mercy? Let us listen to the youth. Let us listen to ourselves to who are young in the past and let us connect our experiences and voices.

Let us listen to Jesus’ experience as a young person. How did mercy come to him especially through Mary, through Joseph, through his friends, through society. What were the experiences of the lack of mercy, the lack compassion, the lack of forgiveness, the injustice, the discrimination that the young Jesus saw, and how did he transformed him to be God’s living parable of mercy.

How did He face this lack of mercy in His crucifixion? What was the source of His words, “Father forgive them” when He was being cursed lowly by unmerciful acts. Let us listen to Jesus, who was also young. And then third moment, how will listening to Jesus drive us to be individuals, disciples of mercy, especially to the young who’s stories we have heard. How can our families, parishes, and the wider Filipino society be the hope of mercy that will give hope, new life to our young people in the midst of the wound? How could we be merciful to creation, to nature that we are treating with so much disrespect?

I am very much bothered when we hear young people subjective to all types of abusive behavior. I am amazed and to unbelief that some of them still survived as wholesome human beings in spite of what they have gone through. I am disturbed that young people are being subjected to violence, bullying, shaming, and they are being told that that is normal. I am ashamed that young people are being sold to prostitution by their own parents and people whom they trust, I am ashamed that society is not a safe, kind, and more loving, a bold for our young people.

But it is not just lament. It is a call to mission. After listening to the youth and listening to Jesus, then, out of love and concern, out of mercy, the mercy that we have all experienced, then we will be missionaries of mercy.

We welcome you once again in the Archdiocese of Manila and may the merciful God bring to each fruition this wonderful fourth Philippine Apostolic Congress on Mercy. At ipagdasal din nyo po kami sa World Youth Day. God bless you all. (RCAM-AOC)

The Catholic choir from Melbourne, Australia, “Excelsis” visited the Arzobispado de Manila on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

Rev. Fr. Nicardo Blanquisco, head, Audit department led the employees of Arzobispado in welcoming the group.

Led by conductor Tom Buchanan, the Excelsis choir delighted the employees with the songs Emarabini (traditional South African song) and Change in my Life.

Photo by Laureen Camille Jaring

The group Excelsis, which takes its name from the Latin word meaning “highest,” performed in a fund-raising concert entitled “One Voice for the Poor II” at the Manila Cathedral on January 17, 2019, at 7:00 p.m.

The concert was organized by the Commission on Social Services and Development of the Archdiocese of Manila headed by Rev. Fr. Eric Adoviso.

The proceeds of the concert will be used to the different projects of the commission. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Dubbed with the theme “The Divine Mercy in Communion with the Young,” PACOM 4 aims to promote and propagate the devotion of Divine Mercy to the young people.

The three-day event is in line with the celebration of the Year of the Youth as part of the preparation for the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines.

Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Gabriele Caccia will preside the Opening Mass on January 24, at 10:15 in the morning with Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos, WACOM Asia Episcopal Coordinator as homilist. He will also give the first talk on “Divine Mercy for You(th)” that aims to deepen the youth’s devotion to the Divine Mercy.

On the same day, Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, Vice President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will give the second talk at 1:15 p.m. He will tackle the topic “IMG (I Am God) Selfie Syndrome and the Image of the Divine Mercy.” The talk aims to explain the ill effects of this phenomenon and to teach young people how to make Christ the center of their lives.

On January 25, second day, Fr. Michael La Guardia, SDB will deliver the third talk at 9 a.m. entitled "N-Chances from No to Nfinity – healing from a broken relationship through the Divine Mercy". He will share the multiple ways how God’s infinite mercy can mend broken relationships.

At 10:45 a.m., Fr. Joel Jason of the Archdiocesan Commission on Family and Life will give the fourth talk on “Love Despite Regret (LDR)”. The talk aims to provide participants with an understanding of the Divine Mercy's love and what it entails.

The last talk will be about “Immortal Combat – Divine Mercy and the battle for souls” to be given Fr. Jose Francisco Syquia, Chief Exorcist Priest, Archdiocese of Manila. He will enlighten the participants of the Divine Mercy's power to strengthen souls, giving a whole new meaning to "Immortal Combat."

Antipolo Bishop Francisco De Leon will preside the closing Mass at 3 p.m. on the last day of PACOM 4 on January 26.

PACOM is part of the worldwide congresses to promote the devotion to the Divine Mercy. It emanates from the World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM), and from it comes the Asian Apostolic Congress on Mercy (AACOM).

It was held in the following places: Lipa, Batangas (2012); El Salvador, Cagayan de Oro (2014); Bacolod, Negros Occidental (2016).

This year, it will be held at San Juan City, Manila, Philippines. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Santo Niño Parish in Tondo, Manila has been declared an archdiocesan shrine and will be officially erected on February 5, 2019, during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist to be presided by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle.

Cardinal Tagle made the announcement on January 12, 2019, during the third-day Novena Mass for the feast of Santo Niño on January 20, 2019.

Photo Credit: Sto. Niño de Tondo Facebook Page

According to the decree signed by Cardinal Tagle, the erection of Sto. Niño Parish as an archdiocesan shrine arose from the petition of Fr. Estelito Villegas, parish priest of Sto. Niño Parish in Tondo and the parish community.

“By the Decree of Erection, We shall likewise grant to the said Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño all the rights and privileges embodied in the Statutes which we also approve at the same time”.

In his homily during the third-day Novena Mass for the feast of Santo Niño, he challenged the parishioners to be prepared as they embrace their new identity and mission.

This was the message of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle to the faithful during the third day of Novena Mass for the Feast of Sto. Niño de Tondo on Saturday, January 12, 2019, at 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Cristy dela Cruz/Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño de Tondo

In his homily, Cardinal Tagle reflected on the Gospel of John. He elaborated the identity and mission of Christ that began during the time when John the Baptist baptized his cousin Jesus.

Cardinal Tagle also urged the faithful to nurture their identity because it speaks of their mission in life. He also added that being faithful to one’s mission is becoming truthful to himself.

During the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Cardinal Tagle was joined by Manila Auxilary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo, D.D. with Rev. Fr. Estelito Villegas, Parish Priest, Sto. Niño de Tondo and the clergy from the different parishes of the Vicariate of Santo Niño.

Before the celebration of the Mass ended, Cardinal Tagle announced the declaration of the Sto. Niño Parish into an Archdiocesan Shrine. He challenged the faithful to be prepared as they embrace their new identity and mission.

On February 5, 2019, the Sto. Niño de Tondo parish will be formally declared as Archdiocesan Shrine in a Mass to be led by Cardinal Tagle.

On January 30, there will be catechesis and confession. A triduum Mass will be held on February 2-4, 2019. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC and Michelle Caandoy Buenavides, Cristy M. Dela Cruz/SOCOM-Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño de Tondo)

The celebration of the feast of the Black Nazarene culminated with a midnight Mass at the Quirino Grandstand on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.

Delivering his homily in a sea of devotees, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle emphasized Christ’s devotion to mankind was manifested on the cross when he came down from heaven, lived on earth, and died for the salvation of the world.

Traslacion commemorates the transfer of the image of the Black Nazarene from Luneta Grandstand to Quiapo Church where the procession passes through the different streets of Quiapo.

According to Msgr. Hernando Coronel, rector and parish priest of Quiapo Church who presided the Mass, aside from Manila there are also other places in the Philippines who held their own Traslacion like Cagayan De Oro, Tagum, Batanes, Legazpi, and Nueva Vizcaya as well as the Filipino Community in the United Arab Emirates.

Present during the Holy Eucharist was the Clergy of Manila, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, officials from the different groups and agencies of the government, and fiesta committees who helped in the preparation of the feast.

The long procession of the Black Nazarene lasted for 21 hours from its departure to Luneta to its arrival to the Quiapo Church according to the Quiapo Command Center. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Thousands of devotees from the different parts of the country, some were barefooted wearing a maroon shirt with the image of Nazareno flocked around Quiapo church for the annual blessing of the replica of the Black Nazarene on Monday, January 7, 2019, two days before the Traslacion on January 9.

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

The different replicas of the Nazareno were blessed by Reverend Father Danichi Hui, parochial vicar of Quiapo Church and other priests at 1:30 p.m.

On January 8, the image of the Black Nazarene will be brought to Quirino Grandstand and will stay overnight for the traditional “Pahalik.” A huge number of devotees are expected to gather to kiss and touch the Nazareno image.

The image of the Black Nazarene will leave Luneta Grandstand at 5 in the morning for the Traslacion.

The Black Nazarene is a life-sized, dark-colored, wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ that was brought to Manila by Augustinian priests in 1607. It has been known to be miraculous by its Filipino devotees and is being attended by millions of devotees, making it one of the country’s biggest annual religious procession.

Traslacion is the transfer of the image of the Black Nazarene from Luneta to Quiapo Church that usually lasted for more than 20 hours.

Traslacion 2019 will be broadcasted on TV Maria at Sky Cable channel 210, Sky Direct channel 49, Sat Lite channel 102, and Destiny Cable channel 96. It can also be viewed at their website (www.tvmaria.ph) and Facebook account (https://www.facebook.com/tvmariaphils/).

Radio Veritas will also air special programming about Traslacion at Veritas 846. Special coverage will also be aired on their Facebook account (https://www.facebook.com/Veritasph/). (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The stories of Christmas are foretold every year in different ways. But the real story of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ.

“A child is born to us. And in the Gospel, the angels told the shepherds a Savior is born, and what is the sign? An infant in swaddling clothes,” Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle said during his homily for the Christmas Evening Mass at the Manila Cathedral.

Photo by Maricar Santos

Cardinal Tagle also reflected on the celebration of Christmas in the Year of the Youth.

“The world will find joy and peace only when all of us rediscover the true youthfulness that Jesus offers to us. Apart from being a child-like Jesus, there will be no joy and peace,” he said.

“So, the Year of the Youth, Christmas in the Year of the Youth is an invitation for all of us see how a child can rule with joy and peace. That’s the promise a child is given us. So, let us recover our being children like Jesus,” he added.

The year 2019 was declared by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) as the Year of the Youth starting Dec. 2, 2018, and culminating on Nov. 24, 2019.

The second point Cardinal Tagle reflected on was toxicity the youth of today might swallow like lies, the proliferation of fake news, violence, and corruption among others.

“In the name of the elders, I want to ask pardon of you young people. We are sorry if the world that we are bequeathing to you is a toxic world. Toxic of falsehood, toxic with lies and fake news, fake reporting coming from fake personalities,” Cardinal Tagle said.

“We are sorry if the world has become toxic because of vices, violence, bullying, brutality, greed, and corruption. You don’t deserve this world, but you, young people can make this world better for the Savior was a child,” he added.

In celebration of the 200th year anniversary of the song Silent Night, Cardinal Tagle stated that during the birth of Christ, those silent nights were holy nights because Christ poured out his pure love to us. While in this day and age, silent nights are no longer holy nights “because in the night crimes, evil, evil deeds are planned, plotted, and executed but those silent nights are not holy nights.”

“Some people continue to suffer, some people are harassed, some people are threatened to remain silent and their lives have become a continuous silent night but not holy night,” Cardinal Tagle said.

At the end of his homily, the Manila Archbishop asked the faithful especially the young people not to swallow the toxic of the world. He asked them to bring back to society those silent nights.

“Let us bring back to society pure love, let us bring back to society tenderness, let us bring back to society gentleness, then silent nights become holy nights,” Cardinal Tagle said.

In his Christmas message, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle asked the faithful to look at the Child Jesus as God’s pure love as he apologized to the young people on behalf of the elders for bestowing upon them a toxic world.

“My prayer and wish for all Filipinos and for the whole of humankind, especially for our beloved young people, is for us to welcome and live the joy and peace of the Child Jesus, who is God's pure love, tenderness and gentleness,” Cardinal Tagle said in his Christmas message.

“To the youth, we elders ask pardon if the world we are bequeathing to you is darkened by toxic falsehood, violence, bullying, vices, greed and corruption. Please do not swallow or inhale this toxicity. Jesus the Child is with you. With Him, renew humanity, society, religions and creation with love's pure light, tenderness and gentleness. Christmas is for you,” he added.

Photo by Maricar Santos

Cardinal Tagle also cited that this year marks the 200th year anniversary of the famous Christmas carol Silent Night. The song was first sung in a village church in Austria on Christmas Eve in 1818. The song according to Cardinal Tagle has provided a message of true Christmas joy and peace to generations of Christians all over the world.

Reflecting on this, Cardinal Tagle said that some silent nights are not holy nights.

“During the time of Jesus up to our contemporary time, some nights have become moments of ominous silence. Crimes and evil deeds are often plotted and executed in the frightening silence of the night. The people who suffer and are continuously threatened and harassed live in endless silent nights,” Cardinal Tagle said.

According to him, silent night becomes holy night when the Child Jesus pours on us “love’s pure light.”

“Pure love makes nights bright and holy because it comes from God. Only God can love authentically and absolutely,” he said.

Cardinal Tagle will celebrate the Christmas Eve Mass on December 24, 2018, at 8:30 p.m. at the Manila Cathedral. (Jheng M. Prado/RCAM-AOC)

In the name of the Archdiocese of Manila I wish you and your loved ones a Blessed celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ!

The bishops of the Philippines have declared 2018-2019 as the Year of the Youth. It is good to reflect on the relationship between the youth and Christmas since we often say that Christmas is for everyone but especially for the young. To fulfill His plan to save us, God sent His Son as a child. Jesus is his name, meaning "God saves His people". Isaiah prophesied a time of JOY and PEACE "for a child is born to us, a son is given to us, upon his shoulder dominion rests" (Isaiah 9:5). The rule of the Child King ushers in joy and peace from God. Only the child-like can bring joy and peace to world. The Filipino youth deserve genuine joy and peace offered by the Savior Jesus, "the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12).

This year we also mark the 200th anniversary of the famous Christmas carol SILENT NIGHT, first sung in a village church in Austria on Christmas Eve 1818. Since then the song has provided a message of true Christmas joy and peace to generations of Christians all over the world. Silent night. During the time of Jesus up to our contemporary time, some nights have become moments of ominous silence. Crimes and evil deeds are often plotted and executed in the frightening silence of the night. The people who suffer and are continuously threatened and harassed live in endless silent nights. But those silent nights are not holy nights. The Child Jesus transformed eerie silent nights into holy nights by pouring on us "love's pure light". Pure love makes nights bright and holy because it comes from God. Only God can love authentically and absolutely. The song also states that God's pure love is manifest in the Child "so tender and mild". Pure love, tenderness, gentleness are marks of the rule of the Child King, thereby making nights holy.

My prayer and wish for all Filipinos and for the whole of humankind, especially for our beloved young people, is for us to welcome and live the joy and peace of the Child Jesus, who is God's pure love, tenderness and gentleness. To the youth, we elders ask pardon if the world we are bequeathing to you is darkened by toxic falsehood, violence, bullying, vices, greed and corruption. Please do not swallow or inhale this toxicity. Jesus the Child is with you. With Him, renew humanity, society, religions and creation with love's pure light, tenderness and gentleness. Christmas is for you.

Reflecting on the Gospel of Luke, Cardinal Tagle shared how obedient Mary was to the Lord. She was already engaged to Joseph, a descendant of David when Angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her that she will conceive in her womb and will bear a son and will be named Jesus. The Holy Spirit poured upon her and the Highest overshadowed her. Though confused, Mary accepted the mission the Lord had entrusted to her.

In this year of the Youth, Cardinal Tagle stressed the role of Mary being the light that guides the path of the young people of today who according to him is not only the future. Today, they are also considered as the present of the world.

After the encouragement he told the youth, he also urged the rest of the faithful who joined in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist to continue to support and guide the young ones as they find their purpose in life.

The 67th Parish Fiesta of the Immaculate Conception Parish - Tayuman, Tondo coincides with the Church’s opening of the Year of the Youth. Through the theme, “Maria, Kalinis-linisang Ina ni Kristo at ng mga Kristiyano” the parish reminds us that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we have for a spiritual Mother His blessed and immaculate Mother Mary.

The Fiesta celebration started with the 9-day Novena Masses led by different guest priests reflecting on daily sub-themes. The 6th Novena Mass, December 6, coincided with the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Immaculate Conception Parish church. Monsignor Geronimo F. Reyes, parish priest, led the turnover rites for the past and incoming Hermanos and Hermanas Mayor. After the Mass, a fellowship dinner was held by the Liga ng mga Hermanos at Hermanas to formally launch the Fence Renovation Project of the parish.

A Marian Exhibit featuring almost 50 images corresponding to titles and events in the life of the Blessed Mother was held at the Bulwagang Inmaculada through the joint effort of this year’s Hermano Mayor, Mr. Allan Ignacio, his friends, and the pastoral workers.

It has become a tradition in the parish to welcome the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception with a Grand Marian Procession on the eve of the parish Fiesta. The 14th Grand Marian Procession featured 32 images of the Blessed Mother in beautifully garbed and well-lit carrozas graced the main streets of the parish’s 44 barangays. Among the images were that of Our Lady of Manaoag under the care of this year’s Hermana Mayor Ma. Teresa Sun and the Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted from her parish in Maricaban, Pasay, accompanied by parish priest Fr. Russel G. Ocampo and parishioners. The 4-hour procession was capped with a mini fireworks display to the delight of the parishioners.

On Fiesta morning, parishioners were captivated by the sight of the image of the Blessed Virgin standing on what seemed like a garden full of beautiful flowers on the altar. Six Masses were held to mark this Holy Day of Obligation.

The 6:00 p.m. Concelebrated Mass was joyfully opened with a traditional Karakol as the image of the Blessed Mother is carried to the altar. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist was presided by Fr. Reynaldo F. Reyes, of the Society of St. Paul. In his homily, he emphasized that as God made Mary clean to receive our savior, so as each of us, faithful Christians, should cleanse ourselves to receive Christ in our hearts and our lives.

After the Mass, the Hermano and Hermana Mayor treated our pastoral workers to a sumptuous Agape Dinner at the church’s patio as a thanksgiving to God and our patroness Mary the Immaculate Conception for a successful celebration of our parish’s 67th Fiesta. The audience were treated to a cultural dance presentation from the Sining ng Lahi Dance Troupe. Also, the winners of the Parish Parol-Making Contest, with their lanterns made out of recycled materials were awarded by Sis. Susanna Ty, Parish Finance Council Head.

As the parish fiesta theme echoes the Philippine Catholic Church’s celebration of the Year of the Youth, ICP Tayuman similarly prepares for the 2021 celebration of the 500th Year of Christianity in the Philippines, coinciding with the parish’s 70th Anniversary. (Bro. Lester Lat / Parish Pastoral Council Vice President / Immaculate Conception Parish)

In a Mass to celebrate the Solemn Dedication of the Altar of The Manila Cathedral, Cardinal Tagle enumerated the different kinds of false gods people worship. He was referring to money, power, and ambition.

Photo by Maricar Santos

During his homily, the archbishop of Manila stressed that these kinds of gods people look up to will only allow selfishness to reign in their hearts and the clarity of the work of the Holy Spirit and God’s love, mercy, and compassion will be obscured.

Having said the dangers of worshipping these gods, Cardinal Tagle encouraged the faithful to fill their hearts with love so that they can also give love like Christ who is the living temple.

After Cardinal Tagle delivered his homily, the rite for the dedication of the altar started with the recitation of the Litany of Saints. Afterward, Cardinal Tagle poured the Holy Oil around the altar symbolizing the presence of the Holy Spirit. The smoke of the incense accompanied the faithful’s prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord. A candle was also lighted signifying that Christ is the light of the world.

Two Filipino prelates who are on their way to sainthood were present during the consecration rites in 1958 – Archbishop Teofilo Camomot and Bishop Alfredo Ma. Obviar who consecrated the altars of the Pius X Chapel and the Our Lady of the Pillar Chapel respectively.

On December 8, 2018, His Eminence Thomas Aquinas Manyo Cardinal Maeda, Archbishop of Osaka and Envoy of His Holiness Pope Francis led the celebration of the Holy Eucharist for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the culmination of the 60th anniversary of the Manila Cathedral postwar. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

His Eminence Thomas Aquinas Manyo Cardinal Maeda, Archbishop of Osaka and Envoy of His Holiness Pope Francis led the celebration of the Holy Eucharist for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the culmination of the 60th anniversary of the Manila Cathedral postwar.

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

Before the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Cardinal Maeda blessed the unveiled image of the Immaculate Conception at the front door of the cathedral. He was joined by Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Gabriele Caccia and Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle.

In his message, Cardinal Tagle warmly welcomed the Archbishop of Japan and recounted the first time Cardinal Maeda visited the cathedral on April 2018 where they concelebrated a Mass.

In his homily delivered in Nihongo which was translated into English by Fr. Eric De Guzman, a Filipino priest Ordained in Osaka; Cardinal Maeda spoke of the many connections and relations between Osaka and Manila specifically between Japan and Philippines that were strengthened by the blood shed by martyrs like Takayama Ukon and San Lorenzo Ruiz.

“The gospel of the Lord giving us forgiveness and reconciliation with one another, and from now on I would like to see stronger and more ties between Japan and the Philippines through the guidance of His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and yours truly and I hope and I pray for each and every one, for all the faithful of Japan and the Philippines that further strengthen our ties and further strengthen our faith in our Lord,” Cardinal Maeda said.

Cardinal Maeda arrived on the evening of December 7 and will be in the country until the morning of December 10. He will also visit the Chapel of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, San Carlos Seminary, Sto. Domingo Church, and the University of Santo Tomas. He will be accompanied by Msgr. Esteban Lo, LRMS, a priest of the Archdiocese of Manila and Episcopal Vicar for Foreign Communities Concern, and Fr. Eric de Guzman, a Filipino priest working in the Archdiocese of Osaka.

On Monday, December 10, the Solemn Dedication of the Altar of the Manila Cathedral according to the Rites of the Second Vatican Council will be held at 5:00 in the afternoon.

“This is a great time for many of us to come together in our Mother Church, as we dedicate the table where, as one people of God, we offer our sacrifices and our prayers,” Father Regie Malicdem, Rector, Manila Cathedral said. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

I would like to greet first His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and all the clergy and all the faithful here in Manila Cathedral, congratulations and Happy Feast day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and Congratulations for the 60th Anniversary of the reconstruction and consecration of the post-war Manila Cathedral.

I have the great honor of being invited as the Special Envoy of His Holiness Pope Francis to celebrate with all of you this momentous and very solemn event, and I know that it was made possible through the recommendation of His Eminence Cardinal Tagle and once more I am very thankful for that.

And I see that there is a very special connection between Manila Cathedral and our Cathedral in Osaka the one in Tamatsukuri, Osaka because both Cathedrals are dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

And to cherish this very special connection between the two Cathedrals, I created a haiku and it reads as follows: Conceived without sin, Manila, and Osaka, Oh Mother Mary.

Photo by Maricar Santos

And I see that the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Virgin Mary is not only a relationship in between two Cathedrals but in actuality, it is a necessary condition for Mary to become the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mary to become the tabernacle of our Lord Jesus Christ must be preserved from all sin.

And it is as we see in the first reading, our first parents Adam and Eve committed the first sin, and after that, a man committed all other forms of sin and became a very sinful race. However, God did not forsake us for this miserable condition, indeed God protected us and He made sure that where there is sin, there will be more and more outpour of graces.

And we have our Blessed Virgin Mary the very first person to have a foretaste of the salvation that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is offering all of us mankind.

And this abundance of grace from God where sin has been committed can be also seen through the very long history the over 400 year history of the Archdiocese of Manila and the long history of the Manila Cathedral, having many times has to raise in to rubble by different disasters and war, but no matter how hardship Manila Cathedral has undergone, the faithful has always been very ready to rebuild it from the rubble and many times the Manila Cathedral has been rebuilt from the ashes of the rubble the more beautiful that it becomes. This is another proof that God indeed showers us with many blessings even though we are sinful.

And Japan also has shared in a little dark history when unfortunately when unfortunately it is on the same day, December 8, 1940, that Japan started participating in the Second World War. However, we believe that it is through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary that although the Japanese people did something wrong in participating in the war, it is also the same Blessed Virgin Mary's Solemnity, however on August 15, 1945 when World War 2 has ended, it reminded everyone of us Japanese the evils of war and it made us decide that never again, we will participate in a world war like what we used to before.

And then there is another connection between Osaka and Manila that I remember, it is through the connection of the Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon it was in 2015 when we celebrated the 400 years of the death of the Blessed Takayama Ukon that His Eminence Cardinal Tagle attended our Mass in Kobe and after 2 years we are fortunate to have the beatification of Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon as a martyr and it was held in Osaka. So, as a matter of fact, the memorial of the Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon is celebrated every third of February and in Japan we have used to celebrate festival on the third of February it signifies the end of winter and during that time we always say, "Out with the bad spirits, and In with the blessing." So I created another haiku and it reads as follows, "Manila and Osaka bound by good fortune. The passing of Ukon, Philippines, and Japan, bound by good fortune." For us, the third of February is the memorial of Justo Takayama Ukon and in Japan, it is our festival signifying the end of winter and also, as a matter of fact, we recall the Takayama Ukon as a symbol of evangelization which promotes forgiveness, reconciliation with God and peace among all mankind.

And I find it also a very big grace and blessing from God that we have many connections, we have many relations between Osaka and Manila and also between Japan and Philippines, moreover they are strengthened by the blood or our martyrs shed both in Japan and in the Philippines. For example, Takayama Ukon was born and raised in Osaka but he ended his life here in Manila. On the other hand we also have San Lorenzo Ruiz who was born and raised in Manila but was martyred in Nagasaki in Japan and also I would not like to forget to mention the six Franciscan Friars that first started their evangelization here in the Philippines and then they also went further to Japan to do their evangelization works there. However, they were caught and martyred in Nagasaki and they were also part of the 26 martyrs of Japan. I would like to express that the martyrs are praying for us and they are giving us an example of what is most important, the most important thing is the gospel of the Lord. The gospel of the Lord giving us forgiveness and reconciliation with one another, and from now on I would like to see stronger and more ties between Japan and the Philippines through the guidance of His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and yours truly and I hope and I pray for each and every one, for all the faithful of Japan and the Philippines that further strengthen our ties and further strengthen our faith in our Lord. (RCAM-AOC)

In his welcome remarks before the Mass to celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Cardinal Tagle expressed his profound gratitude to the Holy Father Pope Francis for sending Cardinal Maeda to the Philippines to represent him in Manila Cathedral’s 60th-anniversary celebration.

“We welcome the Papal Legate, His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Aquinas Manyo Maeda, Archbishop of Osaka, Japan. The Archdiocese of Manila thanks the Holy Father Pope Francis for gracing the feast through you. We also thank you for accepting the mission the Pope has entrusted you,” Cardinal Tagle said.

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

Cardinal Maeda is one of the 14 cardinals appointed by the Holy Father in June 2018 and the newest cardinal in Asia.

Cardinal Tagle also recounted Cardinal Maeda’s visit to the Philippines on April 2018 where he concelebrated a Mass at the Manila Cathedral. A month after, the Holy Father announced that Cardinal Maeda was elevated to the College of Cardinals.

“Your Eminence, last April 12, 2018, I welcomed you here in Manila Cathedral. You came with Japanese pilgrims who were tracing the sites connected to Blessed Justo Ukon Takayama, a Japanese martyr who died in Manila in 1615. A month later, Pope Francis announced that you were being elevated to the College of Cardinals. I would like to think that Manila Cathedral prepared you for a new mission,” Cardinal Tagle said.

Cardinal Tagle also associated Cardinal Maeda’s being an advocate for peace to Manila Cathedral’s rebuilding after the war saying, “Like you, this reconstructed Cathedral is a testament to the power of peace over violence. We will always rise again after every storm, earthquake, fire and war, because we believe in peace”.

At the end of his message, he told the faithful that Cardinal Maeda is a poet who composes Japanese haiku even in his homilies.

On Monday, December 10, the Solemn Dedication of the Altar of the Manila Cathedral according to the Rites of the Second Vatican Council will be held at 5:00 in the afternoon. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The greatest gift we can offer this Christmas is to wholeheartedly surrender ourselves to the Lord.

In his opening remarks during the Advent Recollection for Social Communicators of parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila, Rev. Fr. Joselito Buenafe, second assistant commissioner of the Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications (ACSC) told SOCOM ministers to admit their sins and come back to the Lord this advent.

Fr. Buenafe also stressed the essence of Christmas is in the fulfillment of giving something with a joyful heart without expecting anything in return knowing that you make other people happy.

“I do believe that is a sign of maturity. I do believe that all of us should go in that direction. To that direction of going out of being able to share, of being at the vantage point that you’re the ones giving,” Fr. Buenafe said.

“And when you give its something beautiful that we give with a joyful heart. We give and when we give, we feel fulfilled. We give and when we realized that others, napasaya natin, napaligaya natin, that would be enough,” he added.

Miss Penelope Lanzona talks on communication and the meaning of Advent during the 4th SOCOM General AssemblyPhoto by Laureen Camille Jaring

Miss Penelope Lanzona, main anchor of Veritas Pilipinas aired over Radio Veritas, Line Producer/Dubbing Director for Asianovela, Japanese Animè, Hollywood movies for GMA 7, and Voice Talent for commercials and AVP was the guest speaker during the recollection held at the Arzobispado de Manila on December 1.

The advent recollection for church and secular media and social communicators were organized by the Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications (ACSC) and Archdiocesan Office of Communications (AOC) and aims to further deepen their understanding of the celebration of advent season and to strengthen their faith through spiritual renewal and conversion of heart. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Manila Cathedral culminates the 60th anniversary of its reconstruction and consecration post war with two important celebrations.

The first celebration will be on Saturday, December 8, Saturday, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary at 12:00 in the afternoon. We will welcome the Envoy of His Holiness Pope Francis in the person of His Eminence Thomas Aquinas Manyo Cardinal Maeda, the Archbishop of Osaka. He will lead us in a Eucharistic Celebration to honor the Patroness of the Cathedral and of the whole Filipino people, and he also brings a message and a special blessing from the Holy Father himself.

In the letter of Pope Francis to Cardinal Maeda released originally in Latin by the Vatican on December 1, 2018, the Pope writes, “You are to act in our name, therefore, on the 8th day of the coming month of December, more than four years since we have visited it, at the Cathedral in Manila—also called the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary—giving thanks to God for the beauty of this temple, but most importantly for the lively faith of the pastors and of the Christian faithful . . . We therefore abundantly pour upon you our Apostolic Blessing, and we generously share it with all of those to whom you will be sent: beloved pastors, seminarians, religious men and women, and lay Christian faithful, most especially the poor and the children. (Full text of the English translation attached.)

It is a very symbolic gesture on the part of Pope Francis to send a Japanese Cardinal as Envoy. Aside from being the newest Cardinal in Asia, Cardinal Maeda’s presence on December 8 will signify the reconciliation and peace between our two nations once torn apart by war. In fact, one of the biggest contributions for the rebuilding of the Manila Cathedral came from the Japanese people. Moreover, a few weeks before it was announced that Cardinal Maeda would be named a Cardinal, he visited the Manila Cathedral and concelebrated Mass with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.

Cardinal Maeda will be in the country from the evening of December 7 until the morning of December 10. He will also visit the Chapel of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, San Carlos Seminary, Sto. Domingo Church, and the University of Santo Tomas. He will be accompanied by Msgr. Esteban Lo, LRMS, a priest of the Archdiocese of Manila and Episcopal Vicar for Foreign Communities Concern, and Fr. Eric de Guzman, a Filipino priest working in the Archdiocese of Osaka.

The second celebration will be on Monday, December 10, at 5:00 in the afternoon. We will gather once again to witness the Solemn Dedication of the Altar of the Manila Cathedral according to the Rites of the Second Vatican Council. This is a great time for many of us to come together in our Mother Church, as we dedicate the table where, as one people of God, we offer our sacrifices and our prayers.

One special feature of the celebration will be the veneration of the altars of the eight side chapels of the Manila Cathedral which were all consecrated in 1958 by bishops who came from different parts of the country. On December 10, we invited their present successors to venerate, together with some priests, religious women, and lay people of the Archdiocese of Manila, these chapels. It is interesting to note that two Filipino prelates who are on their way to sainthood were present during the consecration rites in 1958 – Archbishop Teofilo Camomot and Bishop Alfredo Ma. Obviar who consecrated the altars of the Pius X Chapel and the Our Lady of the Pillar Chapel respectively.

In a video message, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, the Archbishop of Manila, invites all the faithful to these significant events of the Manila Cathedral. He said, “I hope you could mark these dates as days when the Filipino people can come together as brothers and sisters in our Mother Church, and show that hate and destruction can be overcome by God's rebuilding love. These are very special occasions of our Mother Church. Please come home!” (The Manila Cathedral)

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle has called on the young people of the Archdiocese of Manila to become missionaries of Christ whose qualities manifest the strength that Christ possesses.

Cardinal Tagle stressed that as young missionaries participating in the mission of Christ, they will be blessed, empowered and will be sent to make a better world.

He also challenged the thousands of young people who attended the launching to see Christ in every activity and to establish a deeper relationship with him. He also pointed out that the year-long celebration will be a failure if Christ is not the center of the occasion.

The launching of the Year of the Youth coincided with the first Sunday of Advent and is part of the preparation of the five hundred years of Christianity in the country in 2021.

Aside from the launch that happened at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary, parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila and other dioceses in the country also conducted activities to mark the opening of the Year of the Youth.

In the Diocese of Balanga, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia led thousands of young pilgrims to the historic Mt. Samat in Bataan where he celebrated Mass. The pilgrimage is an annual event of the Central Luzon Dioceses that started in 2004.

According to CBCP News, Archbishop Caccia joined the pilgrims as they walked seven kilometers from the foot of Mt. Samat to the World War II Monument and White Cross built in memory of the soldiers who fought and lost their lives in the Battle of the Bataan.

The event also highlighted the opening of the Year of the Youth that coincided with the 9th Central Luzon Youth Pilgrimage which was hosted by the Diocese of Balanga from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.

Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos encouraged the youth of Bataan to join and be one with the church.

Wendell Ventura, a seminarian and youth of the Diocese of Balanga who was inspired by the homily of Bishop Santos, shared a message to his fellow youth in Bataan and to the whole world.

Rev. Fr. Teresito "Chito” Soganub, Vicar General of the Prelature of Marawi presided over the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

In his homily, Fr. Soganub who was taken hostage by Maute-ISIS group in 2017 recounted his struggles during his 116 days in captivity and how he remained hopeful even in a situation that called him to give up.

“We have to hope in God even in “hopeless times and situations”, he said.

After the Mass, he led the faithful gathered outside the cathedral for a short prayer while holding candles.

According to the ACN, the Red Wednesday campaign was also celebrated in other parts of the world including the iconic buildings and landmarks in the United Kingdom. The Marble Arch, Lambeth Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Cathedrals across the UK were also lit in red including St. Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham, Norwich Cathedral, Portsmouth Cathedral, and Wrexham Cathedral.

In Scotland, St. Mirin’s Catholic Cathedral, Paisley, Scotland went red, and in the Scottish Parliament, a #RedWednesday event was held including a presentation of ACN’s Religious Freedom in the World 2018 Report.

Other countries who participated in the Red Wednesday campaign include France where the Grand Mosque of Paris and the Great Synagogue of Paris and the Rialto Bridge, in Italy, Venice went red.

In the Philippines, there were 47 cathedrals and 29 basilicas participated in the Red Wednesday of ACN.

Earlier, the ACN Philippines released “Religious Freedom in the World 2018 Report,” that documented an increase in the number of people persecuted in the large parts of Muslim World, India, China, Korea, and Myanmar due to Islamic fundamentalism. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Mandaluyong City Employees Choir“Song of Hope” and “Aba Ginoong Maria”

POLA Youth Choir"One Thing I Ask” and “I Believe/Ave Maria”

Namayan Chapel Choir |“Ama Namin” and “Ave Maria”

Mandaluyong Children’s Choir “Festival Sanctus” and “Ave Maria”

The Lighter Side Movement "We Will Serve Him" and "Hail Mary"

The concert was well attended by both friends and parishioners of San Felipe Neri Parish.

It commenced with the welcome remarks of Bro. Ronnie Bayani, San Felipe Neri Parish Pastoral Council President and ended with all of the performers singing Ryan Cayabyab's, "Memorare" and Hangad's "Inang Mahal."

The Harana kay Maria concert according to the organizer is a way of expressing their gratitude and love to the Blessed Virgin Mary for all the blessings their ministry receive.

The San Felipe Neri Parish Music Ministry in coordination with the Mandaluyong City Government conducted a Marian Concert entitled: Harana kay Maria last November 29, 2018, 8:00 p.m., at the San Felipe Neri Parish, Mandaluyong City.

Pueblo Amante De Maria, the “Harana kay Maria” was a Marian concert where selected choirs from different parishes under the Vicariate of San Felipe Neri Parish and the finest choirs from the city offered and dedicated their gift of voices to our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Fatima Maisog Llanza/SOCOM-San Felipe Neri Parish)

The Vicariate of Espiritu Santo Social Communications Ministry conducted a Seminar-Workshop on Photography entitled: Capturing LIFE through the Lens of FAITH last November 17, 2018, at the Chapel of St. Lazarus, DOH Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila. The program began with the Eucharistic Celebration presided by Rev. Fr. Leo Casas.

The resource speaker of the Seminar-Workshop was Mr. Paul Allyson R. Quimbao, Founder of the Fotomasino, The Thomasian Photographer Guild. He discussed thoroughly the proper gear in photography, composition and techniques in event photography, the right vantage points and access, photographer’s ethics in covering religious events.

He also shared with the attendees his rich experiences in photography especially during the Papal Visit 2015 where he was one of the official photographers at the Pope’s Encounter with the Youth at the University of Sto. Tomas.

The seminar-workshop was organized to develop the skills of the SOCOM members of the Vicariate as they effectively carry out their task especially in taking photos during the activities held in their parishes.

Bro. Eijay Valerio de Paz, Coordinator of the Vicariate Social Communications Ministry said in his opening remarks, “Allow the meaningful parish activities posted in our parish social media accounts that propagate the rich treasure of our faith to inspire other people, especially those in the peripheries.” (Eijay Valerio de Paz/SOCOM-St. Joseph Parish)

Here are some of the photos during the seminar(By Eijay Valerio de Paz)

The young people will be in the front line as the Catholic Church celebrates the Year of the Youth in the coming year.

As part of the preparation of the Catholic Church’s nine-year journey for the new evangelization in 2021, the Archdiocese of Manila will officially launch the Year of the Youth with an overnight vigil on December 1-2, at the Our Lady of the Guadalupe Minor Seminary in Makati City.

The young people at the San Juan Nepomuceno Parish are ready for the launch of the Year of the Youth on December 1-2, 2013Photo credit: ACY-Manila Facebook Page

On December 1, the Archdiocesan Commission on Youth which will spearhead the launch has prepared series of activities for the youth where they can participate in like forum/interview, Spoken Poetry, Holy Hour and Taize, and Concurrent Sessions.

Among the highlights of the celebration on December 2 is the Youth Concert at 2 a.m. followed by the living Rosary at 4:00 a.m.

To culminate the event, Cardinal Tagle will lead the Holy Mass and Commissioning of the youth after the Holy Rosary.

The activities for next year’s celebration will have the following themes: youth in formation, youth in community, Church and society, youth in mission, and youth ministry and youth ministers.

“The Year of the Youth is indeed a journey of encounter with Jesus, accompanied by Mary, the Star of the New Evangelization,” the CBCP Commission on Youth said in a statement.

“In this journey, we tell the story of the Filipino youth with our Risen Lord; we, young Filipinos and Filipinas, listen to Jesus, the Youth Minister par excellence and, as we are blessed and gifted during this journey, we are empowered to witness to and share our faith,” it added.

Carrying the theme “Filipino Youth in Mission: Beloved, Gifted, Empowered,” the Year of the Youth is the seventh in a series of nine annual celebrations to mark the five hundred years of Christianity in the country. The year-long celebration will begin on the first Sunday of Advent and will end on November 24, 2019, the feast of Christ the King.

Earlier the official theme song of the Year of the Youth was released by the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY). The song titled, “One in Mission”, was written and composed by Gino Paulo Buizon of the Archdiocese of Capiz. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Archdiocese of Manila has endorsed the request of the Aid to Church in Need to support the launch of the Red Wednesday campaign on November 28, 2018, at the Manila Cathedral at 6:30 p.m.

To show solidarity to all the Christians all over the world who are persecuted because of their faith, Rev. Fr. Reginald Malicdem, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Manila invited the faithful to join the campaign.

“On Red Wednesday campaign, facades of the cathedrals and parish churches all over the country are to be illuminated in red lights after the evening celebration of the Holy Eucharist to honor the blood of the persecuted Christians,” Fr. Malicdem said in a circular released on November 8, 2018 to the parishes, religious communities, organizations and schools in the Archdiocese of Manila.

The Red Wednesday campaign is an initiative of the Aid to Church in Need that creates awareness among Filipino Christians about the severity of Christian persecution and invites everyone “to make a visible statement by wearing red and, if resources allow, light their own parishes or respective buildings or local monuments in red.”

“The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has endorsed the Red Wednesday campaign by inviting all cathedrals, minor basilicas, and national & diocesan shrines to illuminate their façade in red. Furthermore, several Catholic universities in Manila have also expressed interest to join the campaign,” according to the ACN website.

A Eucharistic celebration will be held at the Manila Cathedral at 6:30 p.m. to be followed by a program to discuss the significance of the illumination of the said structures then a communal prayer for persecuted Christians.

ACN is a Pontifical charity organization dedicated to the service of Christians around the world, through information, prayer, and action, wherever they are persecuted or oppressed or suffering material need.

For the list of the ecclesiastical territories, universities, groups worldwide, and other countries that will join the Red Wednesday campaign, you may visit the ACN website at www.acn-philippines.org. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Speaking in front of the poor families gathered during Mass to celebrate the Second World Day of the Poor at Santisimo Parish – UST on Nov. 17, Cardinal Tagle told the faithful the only way to listen to the cry of the poor is to accept among themselves that they are also poor in spirit.

Reflecting on the theme of the celebration, “This poor man cried and the Lord heard him” (Psalm 34:6), Cardinal Tagle stressed the importance of listening and why many people are afraid to hear the sufferings of others especially the poor.

On the other hand, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo told the Archdiocesan Office of Communications that more than the help and assistance the church provides the poor, listening to them through personal encounter will help regain their importance in the society.

In Vatican City, the Holy Father Pope Francis led the Mass for the Second World Day of the Poor at the St. Peter’s Basilica on November 18.

According to Vatican News, on Nov. 16, Pope Francis paid a surprise visit to the First Aid Station in St. Peter’s Square. The walk-in clinic is open more than 14 hours a day, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. This initiative by the Holy Father is supported by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization (PCPNE) aims to offer medical attention to those most in need.

The World Day of the Poor is celebrated every 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time and was established by the Holy Father Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter, Misericordia et Misera that was issued on November 20, 2016, to celebrate the Extraordinary Year of Mercy. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Bishop Bacani presided over the celebration of the Holy Eucharist to culminate the event held at the Bahay Pari in San Carlos Pastoral Complex in Makati City last November 14, 2018. The opening ceremony was held at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary, Makati City last September 24, 2018, where Antipolo Auxiliary Bishop Nolly Buco led the Eucharistic celebration.

This year, there are six teams who joined the Parilympics namely, Dioceses of Imus, Antipolo, Malolos, Novaliches, Archdiocese of Manila, and Order of Augustinian Recollects who emerged as the champion.

Parilympics is an annual sports festival that started in 1995 during the auspice of the late Jaime L. Cardinal Sin, Archbishop Emeritus of Manila that is aimed at promoting unity, friendship, and sportsmanship as well as developing camaraderie among priests. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

In his message for the Second World Day of the Poor released on June 13, 2018, Pope Francis asked the faithful to hear the cry of the poor people.

“We can ask ourselves how their plea, which rises to the presence of God, can fail to reach our own ears, or leave us cold and indifferent. On this World Day of the Poor, we are called to make a serious examination of conscience, to see if we are truly capable of hearing the cry of the poor,” Pope Francis said.

Photo Credit: Catholic News Agency

Heeding this call of the Holy Father in the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons, the Archdiocese of Manila will mark its second Archdiocesan celebration of the World Day of the Poor on November 17, 2018, at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Central Seminary Gymnasium from 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

According to Rev. Fr. Eric Adoviso, Head of the Archdiocesan Commission on Social Services who spearheaded the event, this year’s celebration will allow the faithful to be in the shoes of the poor who will share their struggles and joy as they battle poverty.

The World Day of the Poor was established by the Holy Father Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter, Misericordia et Misera that was issued on November 20, 2016, to celebrate the Extraordinary Year of Mercy. It is celebrated every 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, this year falls on November 18.

In his circular letter to the priests and religious men and women released in September, Cardinal Tagle said that the archdiocese’s preparation for the World Day of the Poor is “a declaration that a true Filipino promotes the dignity of their neighbors, especially the poor.”

Pope Francis met with street children during his visit to the Philippines on January 16, 2015. Photo Credit: ANSA/L'Osservatore Romano

1. “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him” (Ps 34:6). The words of the Psalmist become our own whenever we are called to encounter the different conditions of suffering and marginalization experienced by so many of our brothers and sisters whom we are accustomed to label generically as “the poor”. The Psalmist is not alien to suffering; quite the contrary. He has a direct experience of poverty and yet transforms it into a song of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. Psalm 34 allows us today, surrounded as we are by many different forms of poverty, to know those who are truly poor. It enables us to open our eyes to them, to hear their cry and to recognize their needs.

We are told, in the first place, that the Lord listens to the poor who cry out to him; he is good to those who seek refuge in him, whose hearts are broken by sadness, loneliness and exclusion. The Lord listens to those who, trampled in their dignity, still find the strength to look up to him for light and comfort. He listens to those persecuted in the name of a false justice, oppressed by policies unworthy of the name, and terrified by violence, yet know that God is their Saviour. What emerges from this prayer is above all the sense of abandonment and trust in a Father who can hear and understand. Along these same lines, we can better appreciate the meaning of Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3).

This experience, unique and in many ways undeserved and inexpressible, makes us want to share it with others, especially those who, like the Psalmist, are poor, rejected and marginalized. No one should feel excluded from the Father’s love, especially in a world that often presents wealth as the highest goal and encourages self-centredness.

2. Psalm 34 uses three verbs to describe the poor man in his relationship with God. First of all, “to cry”. Poverty cannot be summed up in a word; it becomes a cry that rises to heaven and reaches God. What does the cry of the poor express, if not their suffering and their solitude, their disappointment and their hope? We can ask ourselves how their plea, which rises to the presence of God, can fail to reach our own ears, or leave us cold and indifferent. On this World Day of the Poor, we are called to make a serious examination of conscience, to see if we are truly capable of hearing the cry of the poor.

To hear their voice, what we need is the silence of people who are prepared to listen. If we speak too much ourselves, we will be unable to hear them. At times I fear that many initiatives, meritorious and necessary in themselves, are meant more to satisfy those who undertake them than to respond to the real cry of the poor. When this is the case, the cry of the poor resounds, but our reaction is inconsistent and we become unable to empathize with their condition. We are so trapped in a culture that induces us to look in the mirror and pamper ourselves, that we think that an altruistic gesture is enough, without the need to get directly involved.

3. The second verb is “to answer”. The Psalmist tells us that the Lord does not only listen to the cry of the poor, but responds. His answer, as seen in the entire history of salvation, is to share lovingly in the lot of the poor. So it was when Abram spoke to God of his desire for offspring, despite the fact that he and his wife Sarah were old in years and had no children (cf. Gen 15:1-6). So too when Moses, in front of a bush that burned without being consumed, received the revelation of God’s name and the mission to free his people from Egypt (Ex 3:1-15). This was also the case during Israel’s wandering in the desert, in the grip of hunger and thirst (cf. Ex 16:1-6; 17:1-7), and its falling into the worst kind of poverty, namely, infidelity to the covenant and idolatry (cf. Ex 32:1-14).

God’s answer to the poor is always a saving act that heals wounds of body and soul, restores justice and helps to live life anew in dignity. God’s answer is also a summons to those who believe in him to do likewise, within the limits of what is humanly possible. The World Day of the Poor wishes to be a small answer that the Church throughout the world gives to the poor of every kind and in every land, lest they think that their cry has gone unheard. It may well be like a drop of water in the desert of poverty, yet it can serve as a sign of sharing with those in need, and enable them to sense the active presence of a brother or a sister. The poor do not need intermediaries, but the personal involvement of all those who hear their cry. The concern of believers in their regard cannot be limited to a kind of assistance – as useful and as providential as this may be in the beginning – but requires a “loving attentiveness” (Evangelii Gaudium, 199) that honours the person as such and seeks out his or her best interests.

4. The third verb is “to free”. In the Bible, the poor live in the certainty that God intervenes on their behalf to restore their dignity. Poverty is not something that anyone desires, but is caused by selfishness, pride, greed and injustice. These are evils as old as the human race itself, but also sins in which the innocent are caught up, with tragic effects at the level of social life. God’s act of liberation is a saving act for those who lift up to him their sorrow and distress. The bondage of poverty is shattered by the power of God’s intervention. Many of the Psalms recount and celebrate this history of salvation mirrored in the personal life of the poor: “For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; and he has not hid his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him” (Ps 22:24). The ability to see God’s face is a sign of his friendship, his closeness and his salvation. “You have seen my affliction, you have taken heed of my adversities… you have set my feet in a broad place” (Ps 31:7-8). To offer the poor a “broad space” is to set them free from the “snare of the fowler” (Ps 91:3); it is to free them from the trap hidden on their path, so that they can move forward with serenity on the path of life. God’s salvation is a hand held out to the poor, a hand that welcomes, protects and enables them to experience the friendship they need. From this concrete and tangible proximity, a genuine path of liberation emerges. “Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come to their aid” (Evangelii gaudium, 187).

5. I find it moving to know that many poor people identify with the blind beggar Bartimaeus mentioned by the evangelist Mark (cf. 10:46-52). Bartimaeus “was sitting by the roadside to beg” (v. 46); having heard that Jesus was passing by, “he began to cry out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me’” (v. 47). “Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more” (v. 48). The Son of God heard his plea and said: “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Master, let me receive my sight” (v. 51). This Gospel story makes visible what the Psalm proclaims as a promise. Bartimaeus is a poor person who finds himself lacking things as essential as sight and the ability to work for a living. How many people today feel in the same situation! Lack of basic means of subsistence, marginalization due to a reduced capacity for work, various forms of social enslavement, despite all our human progress… How many poor people today are like Bartimaeus, sitting on the roadside and looking for meaning in their lives! How many of them wonder why they have fallen so far and how they can escape! They are waiting for someone to come up to them and say: “Take heart; rise, he is calling you” (v. 49).

Sadly, the exact opposite often happens, and the poor hear voices scolding them, telling them to be quiet and to put up with their lot. These voices are harsh, often due to fear of the poor, who are considered not only destitute but also a source of insecurity and unrest, an unwelcome distraction from life as usual and needing to be rejected and kept afar. We tend to create a distance between them and us, without realizing that in this way we are distancing ourselves from the Lord Jesus, who does not reject the poor, but calls them to himself and comforts them. The words of the Prophet Isaiah telling believers how to conduct themselves are most apt in this case. They are “to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke… to share bread with the hungry and bring the homeless and poor into the house… to cover the naked” (58:6-7). Such deeds allow sin to be forgiven (cf. 1 Pet 4:8) and justice to take its course. They ensure that when we cry to the Lord, he will answer and say: “Here I am!” (cf. Is 58:9).

6. The poor are the first to recognize God’s presence and to testify to his closeness in their lives. God remains faithful to his promise; and even in the darkness of the night, he does not withhold the warmth of his love and consolation. However, for the poor to overcome their oppressive situation, they need to sense the presence of brothers and sisters who are concerned for them and, by opening the doors of their hearts and lives, make them feel like friends and family. Only in this way can the poor discover “the saving power at work in their lives” and “put them at the centre of the Church’s pilgrim way” (Evangelii Gaudium, 198).

On this World Day, we are asked to fulfil the words of the Psalm: “The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied” (Ps 22:26). We know that in the Temple of Jerusalem, after the rites of sacrifice, a banquet was held. It was this experience that, in many dioceses last year, enriched the celebration of the first World Day of the Poor. Many people encountered the warmth of a home, the joy of a festive meal and the solidarity of those who wished to sit together at table in simplicity and fraternity. I would like this year’s, and all future World Days, to be celebrated in a spirit of joy at the rediscovery of our capacity for togetherness. Praying together as a community and sharing a meal on Sunday is an experience that brings us back to the earliest Christian community, described by the evangelist Luke in all its primitive simplicity: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers… And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:42.44-45).

7. Countless initiatives are undertaken every day by the Christian community in order to offer closeness and a helping hand in the face of the many forms of poverty all around us. Often too, our cooperation with other initiatives inspired not by faith but by human solidarity, make it possible for us to provide help that otherwise we would have been unable to offer. The realization that in the face of so much poverty our capacity for action is limited, weak and insufficient, leads us to reach out to others so that, through mutual cooperation, we can attain our goals all the more effectively. We Christians are inspired by faith and by the imperative of charity, but we can also acknowledge other forms of assistance and solidarity that aim in part for the same goals, provided that we do not downplay our specific role, which is to lead everyone to God and to holiness. Dialogue between different experiences, and humility in offering our cooperation without seeking the limelight, is a fitting and completely evangelical response that we can give.

In the service of the poor, there is no room for competition. Rather, we should humbly recognize that the Spirit is the source of our actions that reveal God’s closeness and his answer to our prayers. When we find ways of drawing near to the poor, we know that the primacy belongs to God, who opens our eyes and hearts to conversion. The poor do not need self-promoters, but a love that knows how to remain hidden and not think about all the good it has been able to do. At the centre must always be the Lord and the poor. Anyone desirous of serving is an instrument in God’s hands, a means of manifesting his saving presence. Saint Paul recalled this when he wrote to the Christians in Corinth who competed for the more prestigious charisms: “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you’” (1 Cor 12:21). Paul makes an important point when he notes that the apparently weaker parts of the body are in fact the most necessary (cf. v. 22), and that those “we think less honourable we invest with the greater honour, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require” (vv. 23-24). Paul offers the community a basic teaching about charisms, but also about the attitude it should have, in the light of the Gospel, towards its weaker and needier members. Far be it from Christ’s disciples to nurture feelings of disdain or pity towards the poor. Instead, we are called to honour the poor and to give them precedence, out of the conviction that they are a true presence of Jesus in our midst. “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).

8. Here we can see how far our way of life must be from that of the world, which praises, pursues and imitates the rich and powerful, while neglecting the poor and deeming them useless and shameful. The words of the Apostle Paul invite us to a fully evangelical solidarity with the weaker and less gifted members of the body of Christ: “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together” (1 Cor 12:26). In his Letter to the Romans, Paul also tells us: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly” (12:15-16). This is the vocation of each of Christ’s followers; the ideal for which we must constantly strive is ever greater conformity to the “mind of Jesus Christ” (Phil 2:5).

9. Faith naturally inspires a message of hope. Often it is precisely the poor who can break through our indifference, born of a worldly and narrow view of life. The cry of the poor is also a cry of hope that reveals the certainty of future liberation. This hope is grounded in the love of God, who does not abandon those who put their trust in him (cf. Rom 8:31-39). As Saint Teresa of Avila writes in The Way of Perfection: “Poverty comprises many virtues. It is a vast domain. I tell you, whoever despises all earthly goods is master of them all” (2:5). It is in the measure in which we are able to discern authentic good that we become rich before God and wise in our own eyes and in those of others. It is truly so. To the extent that we come to understand the true meaning of riches, we grow in humanity and become capable of sharing.

10. I invite my brother bishops, priests, and especially deacons, who have received the laying on of hands for the service of the poor (cf. Acts 6:1-7), as well as religious and all those lay faithful – men and women – who in parishes, associations and ecclesial movements make tangible the Church’s response to the cry of the poor, to experience this World Day as a privileged moment of new evangelization. The poor evangelize us and help us each day to discover the beauty of the Gospel. Let us not squander this grace-filled opportunity. On this day, may all of us feel that we are in debt to the poor, because, in hands outstretched to one another, a salvific encounter can take place to strengthen our faith, inspire our charity and enable our hope to advance securely on our path towards the Lord who is to come.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle led the Eucharistic celebration for the Dedication of St. John Lateran at the San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex in Makati City on November 9.

“My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we thank God for bringing us together as one community on this celebration of the Dedication of St. John Lateran. This is the Basilica which is also the cathedral of the Church of Rome. It is the cathedral of the bishop of Rome. So, we are celebrating today, our communion with the whole church in the ministry and the service of the local Church of Rome and especially of the Holy Father,” Tagle said during his homily.

Photo by Leahna Villajos/Radio Veritas

In his homily before the clergy, religious, and lay people of the Archdiocese of Manila, the Cardinal stated the reason of celebrating in Manila and in other parts of the world the dedication of a church in Rome.

“This is an opportunity for us also to reflect on the spirituality of the temple. This is not just about a building. This is the temple of God and the beauty of our Christian faith and scriptures is that symbols are multi-layered. Symbols are open to a wealth of meaning and significance,” he said.

Referring to the temple or church not only as a building, Tagle also emphasized that it is also the Body of Christ. A dwelling place where “life is rejuvenated, where people are sanctified, and where God is glorified.”

He added that the faithful are called to enter the heart of Jesus, whom he referred to as the living temple.

“The temple of God is there to enter and we enter not just a building. We enter Jesus. We enter his heart. We are transformed as we enter Jesus. And we enter Jesus, we become his body and hopefully, as the body of Christ, the living community. Many people will be sanctified. Many people will be able to render God fitting service.”

The celebration of the Dedication of St. John Lateran also coincided with the annual commemoration of the departed clergy, religious, and lay people of the Archdiocese of Manila.

Tagle remembered in the Mass these people who according to him “have offered their lives unto death strengthening the living body of Christ, inviting many people to be living stones.”

On November 8, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) personnel prayed for all the departed clergy of the Archdiocese of Manila at the crypt of the Manila Cathedral and at the La Loma Catholic Cemetery. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle led the celebration of the Holy Eucharist for the 20th anniversary of Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation (Anak-TNK) at the Ateneo de Manila High School on November 3 at 6:00 p.m.

TNK aims to give life to those people who have lost their dignity because of poverty.

Since its foundation in 1998, TNK has been serving the poorest of the poor in Manila and have helped 54,000 children including those who are handicapped, abandoned, in slum areas as well as the elderly people.

Each year, there are 1,300 children and elderly who are sheltered in 30 centers in Manila.

Photo Credit: Élise Cruse/Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation

Delivering his homily in front of two thousand children who attended the event, Cardinal Tagle said that Tulay ng Kabataan has been giving life to many children for twenty years noting that the essence of living is being able to give life to other people the way TNK has been doing.

He encouraged the people especially the children to celebrate life by loving God with all their heart and soul and by loving other people the way they love themselves. He also stressed that it is because of God’s love that humanity was saved from sin.

The whole day activity showcased the children’s ability in sports and developed camaraderie among the other children. The celebration was capped with the display of fireworks at 9 p.m. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Singer Frenchie Dy, dubbed as the country’s “Big time Belter” opened the concert with a song entitled “When You Believe” with the Manila Cathedral-Basilica Choir. Star in Million champion Eric Santos delighted the crowd with his rendition of “You Raise Me up”. Folk singer and composer Noel Cabangon Chua did a medley of the songs “Ugoy ng Duyan” and “Payapang Daigdig.”

Other guests include Poppert Bernadas, Cheska Sarausad, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, Caisa Borromeo, Alfritz Blanche, and the Southernside Dance Theater. A video of the song “Mary Did You Know” by El Gamma Penumbra was also shown.

Cardinal Tagle ended the night by singing the beautiful song, “Inay’’earning loud claps from the crowd.

MARIA: The Most Beautiful Sound was directed by Rem Zamora, musical direction by Ejay Yatco, and written by Cathy Azanza-Dy. It was produced by The Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica Foundation, Inc. with Jesuit Communications Foundation, Inc., and A+B Expedio Integrated Marketing Communications, Inc.

The Pipe Organ Festival is an annual event of The Manila Cathedral that started in 2006. After the 6th Pipe Organ Festival in 2012, the cathedral was closed for retrofitting and much needed structural repairs. In 2012, the festival resumed. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Archdiocese of Manila is nominated as Best Diocesan Website in the 2018 Catholic Social Media Awards (CSMA).

The website of the Archdiocese of Manila (www.rcam.org) serves as a source of information on the Archdiocese of Manila and for mainstream media. It also features various events and activities of the Social Communications Ministry of the different parishes in the archdiocese.

The website was launched on July 25, 2003, with the initiative of then Manila Auxiliary Bishop Socrates B. Villegas under the term of then Manila Archbishop Jaime L. Cardinal Sin.

It was re-designed and was relaunched on March 3, 2012, during Manila Archdiocesan General Pastoral Assembly (MAGPAS) with Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle doing the ceremonial log-on to the website.

In 2016, CSMA awarded the Best Diocesan Website to the Archdiocese of Manila website.

The CSMA recognizes the best communicators of Catholic content through the various social media platforms and believes in the value and importance of online evangelization.

On November 17, 2018, the CSMA will hold its awarding ceremony at Sienna College, Quezon City, at 7 p.m.

The CSMA was organized by Youth Pinoy in collaboration with Areopagus Communication Inc. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The St Joseph Parish in Gagalangin Tondo, Manila together with Kambal na Krus Chapel Community, a chapel under the jurisdiction of the parish have launched its first Parade of Saints.

Aimed at propagating the rich treasures of the Catholic faith, the Parade of Saints promotes the true essence of celebrating All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day.

(EijayValerio/SOCOM-St. Joseph Parish, Gagalangin Tondo)

The activity was held on October 20 at Kambal na Krus Chapel Community and October 28, at St Joseph Parish, Gagalangin.

Youth among the various barangays in cooperation with the Sangguniang Kabataan officials together with the mandated organizations of the parish enjoined the activity and dressed up like a Saint.

The Parade of Saints was concluded with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided over by Rev. Fathers Joselino B. Tuazon and Conegundo B. Garganta. (Eijay Valerio/SOCOM-St. Joseph Parish, Gagalangin Tondo)

The San Felipe Neri Parish Youth Ministry (SFNPYM) conducted their 6th year of Holy-Win: Dress Like A Saint-Contest last Sunday, October 28, 2018, 2:00 p.m., at San Felipe Neri Parish, Mandaluyong City.

The Holy-Win: Dress Like A Saint-Contest is a yearly activity of SFNPYM where the children, the youth, and the adults are dressed in saints’ vestments or costumes to bring back the celebration of the "Hallowed Eve" or the Feast of All Saints, rather than letting them wear scary and horrific costumes of ghosts, witches, and other evil characters. Instead of Halloween, it is named as “Holy-Win” where the saints are honored and glorified with God for their victory against the temptations of sin and their success in attaining holiness.

Parishioners and other members of the parish’s ministry and organization were highly encouraged to participate in the activity to replace the secular celebration of the Halloween with a sacred and meaningful one and also to encourage the children, the youth and the adults to become models of holiness by imitating the Saints.

The participants were divided into three (3) categories: ages 5 to 12 for the Children’s Category, ages 13 to 25 for the Youth Category, and lastly ages 26 & up for the Adult Category.

This year, there were sixty-three (63) young and brave participants who registered for the event.

The program started with the presentation and introduction of the Saint participants. Each participant was on their best character and attire to really let people see the Saint that they are portraying to. Resourcefulness, creativity, and simplicity were evident.

Highlighting the event was the celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided over by Rev. Fr. Hans Magdurulang, the Parochial Vicar of San Felipe Neri Parish, at 4:00 pm where the participants and their parents were recognized.

Before the final blessing, the winners of the said contest were announced and awarded. The Holy Win Dress Like A Saint is not only a contest but an occasion that teaches everyone to be holy, not scary. (Fatima Maisog Llanza and Ma. Chiara Raphaela D. Leornas / San Felipe Neri Parish)

The Archdiocese of Manila celebrated the “Araw ng mga Katekista” last October 13, 2018, at the San Carlos Auditorium in Makati City.

Dubbed as “KATEKISTA: KUWENTO, KANTA,” the event recognized the selfless service of the catechists who continuously serve the faithful especially the young people with passion and dedication to their vocation.

The activity commenced with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided over by Rev. Fr. Carlo Magno Marcelo, Minister of the Catechetical Foundation of the Archdiocese of Manila (CFAM).

"Mapapalad ang mga nakikinig ng Salita ng Diyos at tumutupad nito," Fr. Marcelo said during his homily as he reflected on the Gospel of Luke.

Photo from CFAM Website

According to the news posted at the CFAM website, the priest reminded the catechists of the importance of listening and living out the story of God. He also encouraged them to reflect and understand God’s message to them as catechists. He as well urged them to continue inspiring other catechists to serve the people by telling their own stories of faith, hope, and love.

“KATEKISTA: KUWENTO, KANTA” is a special presentation that featured the life story of the catechists and how they responded to the call of God to become of service to him. The show also tackled topics like Alternative Catechesis and Beyond Catechetical Boarders.

Highlighting the celebration were performances from selected guest singers that gave life to the songs written by Fr. Carlo Marcelo about the colorful and meaningful journey on the life of a catechist.

Dear young people, I would like to reflect with you on the mission that we have received from Christ. In speaking to you, I also address all Christians who live out in the Church the adventure of their life as children of God. What leads me to speak to everyone through this conversation with you is the certainty that the Christian faith remains ever young when it is open to the mission that Christ entrusts to us. “Mission revitalizes faith” (Redemptoris Missio, 2), in the words of Saint John Paul II, a Pope who showed such great love and concern for young people.

The Synod to be held in Rome this coming October, the month of the missions, offers us an opportunity to understand more fully, in the light of faith, what the Lord Jesus wants to say to you young people, and, through you, to all Christian communities.

World Youth Day Cross (Photo from Vatican News Website)

Life is a mission

Every man and woman is a mission; that is the reason for our life on this earth. To be attracted and to be sent are two movements that our hearts, especially when we are young, feel as interior forces of love; they hold out promise for our future and they give direction to our lives. More than anyone else, young people feel the power of life breaking in upon us and attracting us. To live out joyfully our responsibility for the world is a great challenge. I am well aware of lights and shadows of youth; when I think back to my youth and my family, I remember the strength of my hope for a better future. The fact that we are not in this world by our own choice makes us sense that there is an initiative that precedes us and makes us exist. Each one of us is called to reflect on this fact: “I am a mission on this Earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world” (Evangelii Gaudium, 273).

We proclaim Jesus Christ

The Church, by proclaiming what she freely received (cf. Mt 10:8; Acts 3:6), can share with you young people the way and truth which give meaning to our life on this earth. Jesus Christ, who died and rose for us, appeals to our freedom and challenges us to seek, discover and proclaim this message of truth and fulfilment. Dear young people, do not be afraid of Christ and his Church! For there we find the treasure that fills life with joy. I can tell you this from my own experience: thanks to faith, I found the sure foundation of my dreams and the strength to realize them. I have seen great suffering and poverty mar the faces of so many of our brothers and sisters. And yet, for those who stand by Jesus, evil is an incentive to ever greater love. Many men and women, and many young people, have generously sacrificed themselves, even at times to martyrdom, out of love for the Gospel and service to their brothers and sisters. From the cross of Jesus we learn the divine logic of self-sacrifice (cf. 1 Cor 1:17-25) as a proclamation of the Gospel for the life of the world (cf. Jn 3:16). To be set afire by the love of Christ is to be consumed by that fire, to grow in understanding by its light and to be warmed by its love (cf. 2 Cor 5:14). At the school of the saints, who open us to the vast horizons of God, I invite you never to stop wondering: “What would Christ do if he were in my place?”

Transmitting the faith to the ends of the earth

You too, young friends, by your baptism have become living members of the Church; together we have received the mission to bring the Gospel to everyone. You are at the threshold of life. To grow in the grace of the faith bestowed on us by the Church’s sacraments plunges us into that great stream of witnesses who, generation after generation, enable the wisdom and experience of older persons to become testimony and encouragement for those looking to the future. And the freshness and enthusiasm of the young makes them a source of support and hope for those nearing the end of their journey. In this blend of different stages in life, the mission of the Church bridges the generations; our faith in God and our love of neighbor are a source of profound unity.

This transmission of the faith, the heart of the Church’s mission, comes about by the infectiousness of love, where joy and enthusiasm become the expression of a newfound meaning and fulfilment in life. The spread of the faith “by attraction” calls for hearts that are open and expanded by love. It is not possible to place limits on love, for love is strong as death (cf. Song 8:6). And that expansion generates encounter, witness, proclamation; it generates sharing in charity with all those far from the faith, indifferent to it and perhaps even hostile and opposed to it. Human, cultural and religious settings still foreign to the Gospel of Jesus and to the sacramental presence of the Church represent the extreme peripheries, the “ends of the earth”, to which, ever since the first Easter, Jesus’ missionary disciples have been sent, with the certainty that their Lord is always with them (cf. Mt 28:20; Acts 1:8). This is what we call the missio ad gentes. The most desolate periphery of all is where mankind, in need of Christ, remains indifferent to the faith or shows hatred for the fullness of life in God. All material and spiritual poverty, every form of discrimination against our brothers and sisters, is always a consequence of the rejection of God and his love.

The ends of the earth, dear young people, nowadays are quite relative and always easily “navigable”. The digital world – the social networks that are so pervasive and readily available – dissolves borders, eliminates distances and reduces differences. Everything appears within reach, so close and immediate. And yet lacking the sincere gift of our lives, we could well have countless contacts but never share in a true communion of life. To share in the mission to the ends of the earth demands the gift of oneself in the vocation that God, who has placed us on this earth, chooses to give us (cf. Lk 9:23-25). I dare say that, for a young man or woman who wants to follow Christ, what is most essential is to seek, to discover and to persevere in his or her vocation.

Bearing witness to love

I am grateful to all those ecclesial groups that make it possible for you to have a personal encounter with Christ living in his Church: parishes, associations, movements, religious communities, and the varied expressions of missionary service. How many young people find in missionary volunteer work a way of serving the “least” of our brothers and sisters (cf. Mt 25:40), promoting human dignity and witnessing to the joy of love and of being Christians! These ecclesial experiences educate and train young people not only for professional success, but also for developing and fostering their God-given gifts in order better to serve others. These praiseworthy forms of temporary missionary service are a fruitful beginning and, through vocational discernment, they can help you to decide to make a complete gift of yourselves as missionaries.

The Pontifical Mission Societies were born of young hearts as a means of supporting the preaching of the Gospel to every nation and thus contributing to the human and cultural growth of all those who thirst for knowledge of the truth. The prayers and the material aid generously given and distributed through the Pontifical Mission Societies enable the Holy See to ensure that those who are helped in their personal needs can in turn bear witness to the Gospel in the circumstances of their daily lives. No one is so poor as to be unable to give what they have, but first and foremost what they are. Let me repeat the words of encouragement that I addressed to the young people of Chile: “Never think that you have nothing to offer, or that nobody needs you. Many people need you. Think about it! Each of you, think in your heart: many people need me” (Meeting with Young People, Maipu Shrine, 17 January 2018).

Dear young people, this coming October, the month of the missions, we will hold the Synod devoted to you. It will prove to be one more occasion to help us become missionary disciples, ever more passionately devoted to Jesus and his mission, to the ends of the earth. I ask Mary, Queen of the Apostles, Saint Francis Xavier, Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and Blessed Paolo Manna to intercede for all of us and to accompany us always.

Coming from different places in Davao, thousands of Davaoeños devotees of Padre Pio queued for the public veneration of the incorrupt heart relic of the saint from October 14-17, 2018.

The heart relic of the Italian priest coming from Cebu arrived at the Davao Airport on October 14, at 10 a.m., followed by a motorcade going to Ateneo de Davao Matina Campus where Bishop George Rimando, Auxiliary Bishop of Davao presided over the Holy Eucharist.

The public veneration started at 1 p.m. followed by a conference on the life of Padre Pio at 5 p.m.

Photo from Davao Catholic Herald Official Facebook Page

A procession from the Ateneo University to the San Pedro Cathedral took place at 8 p.m. where the relic stayed for a day before it was transferred to the St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary (REMASE) on October 16. On that day, the priests and religious had the chance to venerate the relic as part of the celebration of the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons before it was brought back to the cathedral for the celebration of the Mass at 5:30 p.m.

Culminating the visit of the heart relic before it was brought back to Batangas, a Holy Eucharist was held at 6 a.m. at the cathedral. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Aid to Church in Need Philippines launched the “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” campaign on Monday, October 15.

Among the children who will be joining the worldwide campaign in reciting the Holy Rosary on Oct. 18, at 9 a.m. are the Marawi children from the Philippines who are victims of war and persecution.

In the Philippines, there are 1,293 parishes, 777 schools, and 41 dioceses who commit to participate in this year’s campaign and is in partnership with the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP).

From left, ACN Philippines National Director Jonathan Luciano, ACN Philippines’ Chief Operating Officer Amb. Henrietta de Villa and Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan are the panelists during the launching of the "One Million Children Praying the Rosary" Campaign on October 15. (Photo by Laureen Camille Jaring)

The highlight of the celebration will be at the San Jose Academy in Navotas (Diocese of Kalookan) where the orphans of EJK victims who are scholars of the diocese in the said school will lead in the praying of the rosary.

Aside from the Marawi children, joining the prayer campaign via video are selected children from Syria (Aleppo), Korea (Seoul), Australia, and a special group of children from San Jose Academy.

According to Jonathan Luciano, ACN Philippines’ National Director, they did not only focus on the prayer component of this year’s campaign.

“When you pray the rosary, dapat merong charity na kasama. The rosary itself is a prayer of peace and it is also an act of charity to others,” Luciano said quoting Pope John Paul II during a press conference held on October. 15.

Luciano added that the campaign advances its cause to a more concrete expression of solidarity through the “One Peso Solidarity Project”. The project encourages children to donate a portion of their allowance dedicated to projects that would help other children in the different world especially those who are undergoing extreme depression, discrimination, and are persecuted in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe.

The one million children who will join in the praying the rosary will sign their names in a Friendship and Solidarity Form and will be encouraged to donate ONE PESO (1.00) as a token of solidarity and support to the suffering children across the world.

The “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” initially started in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas in 2005.

ACN is the charity arm of the Holy Father founded in 1947. Through its three pillars: information, prayer, and action, ACN helps Christians who are persecuted and oppressed. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

ACN is the charity arm of the Holy Father founded in 1947. Through its three pillars: information, prayer, and action, ACN helps Christians who are persecuted and oppressed. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

These were the words that Antipolo Bishop Francisco De Leon uttered in front of the thousands of devotees of St. Padre Pio who heard Mass on the second day of visit of the heart relic at The Manila Cathedral at 12:10 p.m.

“But real love and to love really, you have to be open to the other person. If you’re not then, that is not real love. But there is a danger of being open to another person and the danger is this. Pwede kang masaktan kapag binuksan mo ang iyong puso sa isang tao siya’y minamahal mo pwede kang masaktan,” Bishop de Leon said.

Capuchin Priests prepare the incorrupt heart relic of Padre Pio enclosed inside a glass container for public veneration in Davao. (Photo by Nemrieck Kiel Umali/Diocese of Digos Social Communications)

Reflecting on the events in the life of Christ, Bishop de Leon said, the love of Christ is like the love of God to mankind. Christ, who is the son of God embraced his sufferings during the times when he was persecuted.

At that time, one of his apostles betrayed him, the other denied him and the rest run away from him. Despite these things, his unconditional love prevailed. He chose to forgive and died on the cross.

“Subalit ang ginawa niya ay siya’y nagpatawad mula pa sa krus. Panginoon patawarin mo sila hindi nila nalalaman ang kanilang ginagawa. That wound and that heart crucified him on the cross and killed him but on the third day he arose again,” he said.

Like Christ, Padre Pio also has his own sufferings like that of Christ. The holy priest bore the same wounds of Christ.

“And that stigmata are not punishment given by God. It is a privilege given by God. If you really love Jesus and the cross, if you truly follow the cross, Jesus saying, “If you like to follow me carry your cross, you will suffer, we will suffer,” he said.

Padre Pio’s stigmata were doubted by the church including the monastery where he belonged. They thought the wounds came from the devil. Because of that, he was forbidden to hear confession and celebrate public mass.

At the end of his homily, Bishop De Leon challenged the devotees to imitate the saint’s characteristics.

Bishop De Leon also reminded the faithful to embrace their own sufferings and cross in life.

“Kaya nga sa bawat simbahan may cross to remind us of the depth and the width and the pain of the love of Christ,” he said.

The heart relic visited the University of Santo Tomas (Oct. 8), The Manila Cathedral (Oct. 9-11), Archdiocese of Cebu (Oct. 11-14), and currently at the Archdiocese of Davao (Oct. 14-16).

After the visit to Davao, the relic will be brought to Lipa, Batangas on Oct. 17, then back to the National Shrine of St. Padre Pio in Sto. Tomas, Batangas on Oct. 18 – 26 before it returns to Italy. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The incorrupt heart relic of St. Padre Pio was transferred to the Archdiocese of Cebu after a Farewell Mass was held at The Manila Cathedral on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, at 6 a.m.

The Holy Eucharist was presided by Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente F. Ignacio, Vicar General and Moderator Curiae of the Archdiocese Manila.

At past 7 a.m., the relic was brought to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport together with Father Joselin Gonda, rector of National Shrine and Parish of Padre Pio in Batangas. The relic stayed in Cebu from Oct. 11-14.

Upon the arrival of the heart relic in Cebu, a Welcome Mass was held at Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral presided over by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma at 10:30 a.m.

In an article posted at the CBCP website, Archbishop Palma, in his homily encouraged Padre Pio’s devotees to pray for their personal intentions as well as the welfare of the country.

“When we come and pray before the heart of Saint Padre Pio, pray for the nation, for the transformation of our society,” Archbishop Palma said.

“Let’s also pray that his visit will bring grace to those in need,” he added.

Veneration and confession were held during the relic’s stay at the cathedral.

The sacred relic was transported from the Cebu Cathedral to the IEC Pavillion on Oct. 12, after the 10:30 a.m. Mass led by Rev. Msgr. Ruben C. Lajo of the Cebu Cathedral.

Series of conferences on the Person, Life, and Spirituality of Padre Pio and Renewed Servant Leaders for (Clergy and Consecrated Persons) for New Evangelization were held on the same day.

On Oct. 13, a Mass was held in the IEC Pavilion, sponsored by the World Apostolate of Fatima. Public veneration was held from 4 to 9 p.m.

At midnight, Fr. Jonald Concha of the Archdiocese of Cebu officiated the anticipated Mass.

Before the relic of the famous saint flies to Davao, a concelebrated Mass was held at 6 a.m. presided over by Rev. Fr. Dennis Villarojo, Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu.

The relic will visit Davao starting Oct. 14-16. It will be brought to San Sebastian Cathedral in Lipa City, Batangas on Oct. 17 and will be brought back to the National Shrine of Padre Pio in Sto. Tomas, Batangas on Oct. 18-26 before it returns back to Italy.

But real love and to love really, you have to be open to the other person. If you’re not then, that is not real love. But there is a danger of being open to another person and the danger is this. Pwede kang masaktan kapag binuksan mo ang iyong puso sa isang tao siya’y minamahal mo pwede kang masaktan.

The greatest commandment given to us by the Lord Jesus is this, Love God and love another. Love God with all your your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength, and with all your soul. Love one another as I have love you. Kaya ang tunay na tagasunod ni Hesus ay tunay na nagmamahal. Handing masaktan at handa ring magpatawad.

Sabi pa niya my “nourishment is the cross of Christ”. Ganun na lamang ang pagmamahal niya sa krus ni Hesus kaya siya nagkaroon ng stigmata. Ang limang sugat ni Hesus ay lumitaw sa kanya: dalawang kamay, dalawang paa, tagiliran. And that stigmata is not punishment given by god. It is a privilege given by God. If you really love Jesus and the cross, if you truly follow the cross, Jesus saying, “If you like to follow me carry your cross, you will suffer, we will suffer”. Kahit ikaw ay magulang, asawa, o pari lahat tayo basta’t tunay na nagmahal, we will experience the cross of Christ. And let us not reject that cross because that cross will save us. Like the cross of Jesus, like the cross of Father Pio and like the cross of St. Francis of Assisi.

Si St. Francis of Assisi nagkaroon din ng stigmata. And they did not reject the suffering, they embrace it. How many of us can do that? If we are truly devotees of St. Padre Pio, we will not reject the cross, we will embrace the cross kahit napakasakit. Because again and again we will be hurt, and again and again we will be asked to forgive. Minsan ibig na nating maghiganti. Lintik lang ang walang ganti! But Jesus asked us to forgive seventeen times seven times kung totoong sumusunod tayo kay Jesus. Kung totoong devotee tayo ni Padre Pio, hindi lang misa, hindi lang nobena, hindi lang paghalik sa relic, kundi paggaya sa kanya, sa kanyang pagmamahal kahit masakit, patuloy na nagmamahal hanggang sa wakas ng kanyang buhay.

Kaya pagnilay nilayan po natin iyan mga kapatid. Hindi madaling maging devotee ni St. Padre Pio. We are asked to be like him just he was asked to be like Christ. So let us be like Christ. Let us embrace our cross inspite of the hurt and the pain and that will save us. The cross is our salvation. It is a scandal for the Jews and foolishness for the... But for us it is our salvation sapagkat sa cross makikita ang tunay na nagmamahal. Kaya nga sa bawat simbahan may cross to remind us of the depth and the width and the pain of the love of Christ. Let us do that. And I know with the help and prayer of Mary, our mother, the seven sorrows of Mary, who also suffered pain in her heart, praying for us magagawa natin mga kapatid. Ganun din sa tulong ni Padre Pio, magagawa natin mga kapatid.

Thousands of devotees of St. Padre Pio flocked at The Manila Cathedral during the three-day visit of the heart relic of the Italian priest of Pietrelcina.

Unmindful of the heat of the sun and the occasional pour of rain, the faithful devotees including the young, old, pregnant, sick and with disabilities, patiently waited for hours for their turn to venerate the relic and prayed with their hearts.

Faith brought the devotees in this three-day visit of the heart relic of Padre Pio. They believe in the power of prayer. They look up to Padre Pio not as God, but as an instrument where they can send their prayers.

Devotees say their prayer in silence after venerating the heart relic of St. Padro Pio at the Manila Cathedral (Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao)

Marina Santos, 56, married with five kids, hails from Bagong Silang Caloocan City, is one of the many devotees who believed that miracles do happen when you have faith.

Three years ago she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. With a teary-eyed, the woman became emotional as she was thankful to Padre Pio for hearing and bringing her intentions to the Lord.

Ericson Sabungan, 20, is from Northern Samar. He admitted that he is not really a devotee but it doesn’t mean he does not believe in the intercession of Padre Pio. His faith that prayers are the strongest form of communication with the Lord is what brought him to The Manila Cathedral to venerate and pray. One of his prayers according to him was granted.

“Yung prayer ko, I prayed to have a Latin honor. I graduated Cumlaude. And this made my parents and siblings proud kasi sila ang nagpa-aral sa akin,” he said.

At the moment, while taking a nursing review, he prays to have a 100 percent passing grade. He also prays to land a good job and to have a stable life in the future.

Asked if he would encourage other young people to have a devotion to Padre Pio, the young man joyfully said, he will.

Sabungan also shared that he looks up to Padre Pio for being holy and prayerful. He also admires the saint for bearing the same wounds that Jesus bore.

A Farewell Mass for the heart relic of Padre Pio was held on Thursday, October 11, 2018, at 6 a.m. It will be transferred to the Archdiocese of Cebu (Visayas) from October 11-13 then to the Archdiocese of Davao (Mindanao) from October 14-16.

The next destination is at the Lipa Cathedral in Batangas on October 17 and will be brought back to the National Shrine of Padre Pio in Santo Tomas, Batangas on October 18 until its departure to San Giovanni, Rotondo in Italy on October 26. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo urged the devotees of St. Padre Pio to pray for the Philippines.

Delivering his homily in front of thousands of devotees gathered at the Manila Cathedral to welcome the heart relic of St. Padre Pio on October 9, 2018, Bishop Pabillo requested the devotees to pray not only for their personal intentions but for the Philippines and its leaders.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo presides the Holy Eucharist to welcome the heart relic of St. Padre Pio at the Manila Cathedral on October 9.Photo Eric Paul Guanlao

Aside from asking prayers through the intercession of the Italian priest from Pietrelcina, Bishop Pabillo pointed out that one of the ways to become holy like Padre Pio is to share in the sufferings of Christ by embracing our own woundedness.

Devotees venerate the heart relic of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina at The Manila CathedralPhoto by Eric Paul GuanlaoPhotogallery

The incorrupt heart relic of Saint Padre Pio, an Italian priest from Pietrelcina arrived at The Manila Cathedral on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, at 9 a.m.

After the send-off Mass at the Santisimo Rosario Parish, University of Santo Tomas, the sacred relic was transferred to The Manila Cathedral where a Welcome Mass was celebrated by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo.

In his homily, the prelate spoke about the holiness of Padre Pio who shared in the sufferings of Christ. According to him, to follow the teachings of Christ is the way to holiness.

The Holy Eucharist was attended by priests and thousands of devotees wanting to see and touch the relic of the famous saint.

The cathedral is open 24 hours to accommodate many devotees to venerate the relic. Confession is also available before and after the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

Series of Masses will be held during the three-day visit of the heart relic.

On October 11, before the heart relic departs from the cathedral, a Farewell Mass will be presided by Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio, Vicar General and Moderator Curiae of the Archdiocese of Manila at 6 a.m.

From The Manila Cathedral, the relic will be transferred to the Visayas (Archdiocese of Cebu) and will stay from October 11-13 then to Mindanao (Archdiocese of Davao) from October 14-16.

The visit of the heart relic of St. Padre Pio from October 5-26, 2018 is organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on the Clergy (CBCP-ECC) in coordination with the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio in Santo Tomas, Batangas. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

This passage should give us a good reason today as members of the Clergy and the Consecrated persons to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the stigmata, or the marks of Jesus’ wounds on the much-loved Saint Padre Pio. We might be surprised to find out that many of us have these marks too, even if they might not be in the right places.

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

It is not uncommon for people in this day and age to be stigmatized for one reason or another. You know what I mean; stigma no longer has the neutral meaning that it had before. Modern English has assumed this Greek word in its vocabulary but has given it a very negative meaning. Very much like the words UNCLEAN or SINNER during the time of Jesus—as common labels for the rejects in Jewish society in the first century AD, those regarded as violators of the law. Or very much like the STAR OF DAVID the Jews were forced to wear during the time of Hitler. Or the SCARLET LETTER in the novel of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the woman who had committed adultery, and who had been condemned to wear a dress marked with a bold letter A (for adulteress) in scarlet, to make sure that her sin was known by the whole town.

Perhaps the modern equivalent for the scarlet letter A in our country today is DS—meaning, “drug suspect”. It is probably the worst stigma that can be given as label to people who land in the drug watch list. It is generic but cruel because it can mean anything: drug user, pusher, runner, protector, supplier, producer, smuggler, etc. This stigma can get people jailed or killed, and people just shake their heads with pity when they see their dead bodies on a street alley. It takes just one toxic whisper, “He must be a drug suspect” to justify the murder.

Actually, the stigmata of Jesus did not have a neutral or positive meaning either. They were also the marks of a criminal, one who had been condemned to death through the brutal and the most cruel form of death penalty invented by the Persians and adopted by the Romans. Two marks on the hands and two marks on the feet for the nailing on the cross. But unlike the other criminals, Jesus bore a fifth mark on his side. One that supposedly pierced his heart. Let me share about that fifth stigma of the man from Nazareth who had been condemned as criminal, on the occasion of the visit of the heart of Saint Padre Pio. Take note that the original stigmatist before this Franciscan Capuchin, Padre Pio, was no other than Saint Francis of Assisi himself.

The most familiar photos of Saint Padre Pio are those of him celebrating Mass with extended hands covered with mittens that have marks of blood. But unknown to many people, aside from the stigmata on both hands and feet, the most painful stigma that Padre Pio received was hidden under layers of clothes marking the wound inflicted on the side Jesus when a soldier pierced him with a lance after he had expired on the cross. At least, Jesus was dead already when he got it; Padre Pio was very much alive when he received his fifth stigma. In one of his writings, he described what it was like when he saw a vision of an angel thrusting a flaming spear into his side. He described the excruciating pain that he felt as the spear cut into his flesh and pierced his heart. He said he thought he was going to die right then and there.

The pain that Padre Pio experienced in his heart after that mystical experience is what we came here to reflect on today dear brothers and sisters in the Clergy & Consecrated Life. We’re not just here to venerate a relic. We’re here to reflect on the priestly heart of Padre Pio, and on that which wounded this heart to be so configured to the Heart of Jesus, our Supreme High Priest. Is this not what we sing about during our First Friday devotion? “O sacred heart O love divine, do keep us near to Thee, and make our hearts so like to Thine that we may holy be.” Like that of St. Francis of Assisi, Padre Pio‘s heart was wounded, not to bleed, but to burn, to be set on fire. In our Gospel, we heard how the divine heart burned with indignation (like those of the prophets of old) when he drove away the traders and money-changers from the temple and cried out, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” The evangelist tells us people were reminded of the words of the Psalm 69:10, “Zeal for your house consumes me!” The closest Tagalog translation that I can think of for this is that line that we sing in our national anthem: “Alab ng puso sa dibdib mo’y buhay.” Or more accurately, “Alab ng puso ko para sa tahanan mo, sa dibdib ko’y buhay.” (Good thing, it is not the line that the honorable senator wanted to revise. I think what he wanted to change was the ending, “Ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo.” Apparently, he does not want us to sound defeatist, so he suggests to revise it to “Ang ipaglaban ang kalayaan mo.” People who are too eager to fight for a cause can be dangerous too. Like those who say, “Ipaglaban ang kaayusan ng lipunan laban sa mga kriminal” who would probably feel more comfortable changing the slogan to “Ang pumatay ng dahil sa iyo.” This is never the way of Christ. Ang paraan ni Kristo ay hindi ang pumatay. Manindigan sa tama kahit pagdurusa at kamatayan ang kapalit nito. Christ’s way is never about the eagerness to kill but the zeal to offer one’s life, like San Lorenzo Ruiz who said, “I am a Catholic and I am ready to offer my life for the Lord. If I had a thousand lives, I’d be willing to offer them all for him.”)

The heart of Padre Pio, like that of Jesus, burned with the priestly zeal to save, not to condemn sinners. Like Christ, he was indignant towards religious leaders who turned religion into politics and business.

The Bible is replete with many instances when God’s Word, or God’s mercy & compassion are described like fire burning within people. Remember the Call of Moses? Something was already burning within him before he encountered God in the burning bush. God was merely echoing to Moses what Moses himself had already been feeling whenever he witnessed the oppression of the Hebrew slaves. The words God said in the burning bush “I have seen the affliction of my people; I have heard their cry, and I know well they are suffering...” could have been said by Moses himself.

Or remember Jeremiah who wanted to give up his prophetic mission because proclaiming God’s Word always got him into trouble? How he resolved to just shut up his mouth and stop speaking on God’s behalf? He said in chapter 20:9 “I say I will not mention him, I will no longer speak in his name.But then it is as if fire is burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones;I grow weary holding back, I cannot endure it!”

Or remember those two disciples who were running away from trouble in Jerusalem, how the Lord who had walked and talked with them like a casual stranger was revealed to them at the breaking of the bread? How they looked back and said, “Were not our hearts burning within as as he explained to us the Scriptures?”

The Carmelite saint, John of the Cross, did not receive stigmata, but in one of his poems, he describes an experience similar to what Saint Padre Pio experienced when he received his fifth wound. The poem is entitled LIVING FLAME OF LOVE.

Oh, living flame of loveThat tenderly wounds my soul in its deepest centre,Since thou art no longer oppressive, perfect me now if it be thy will, Break the web of this sweet encounter.

Homily delivered by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, DD during Mass on the Occasion of the Visit of the Relic of the Heart of St. Padre Pio National Shrine of St. Padre Pio Sto. Tomas, Batangas, on October 6, 2018, at 9:00 a.m.

Magandang umaga sa inyong lahat.

It is my joy to be with you today as we celebrate this Mass in honor of St. Pio of Pietrelcina - or Padre Pio as he is known worldwide. I greet His Excellency Archbishop Gilbert Garcera and the Archbishop-Emeritus Ramon Arguelles and I thank them for the warm welcome they accorded me. I am grateful to Rev. Fr. Joselin Gonda, the Rector and Parish Priest of this National Shrine, for inviting me on your behalf, and giving me the privilege of making a pilgrimage here at the National Shrine dedicated to Padre Pio. I am happy to see Religious Sisters, some local officials, mothers, fathers, the elderly and the young. I am moved by the presence of those who are sick, their being here is a manifestation of the power and comfort that can only come from faith.

I wish to convey to all of you the paternal affection and blessing of His Holiness Pope Francis, whom I represent in this Country. He has fond memories of his visit in the Philippines and he always keep you, Filipinos, close to his heart. Please remember to pray for him, especially in this difficult time.

We are happy to welcome the relic of the heart of Padre Pio in our midst. But what is the heart of Padre Pio like? Allow me to share with you three characteristics of the heart of the Saint.

Photo by Fatima Llanza

Padre Pio’s heart is a child-like heart.

In the Gospel, Jesus praises the Father because he revealed the mysteries of his Kingdom to the little ones. Who are these little ones? The little ones are those who are in need of the great, who are not self-sufficient, who do not think that they can rely on themselves alone.

The little ones are those who have a humble and open heart, poor and needy, who are aware of the need to pray, to entrust themselves and to let themselves be accompanied.

Pope Francis describes the heart of these little ones like an antenna: “...it receives God’s signal, immediately; they notice it immediately. Because God seeks contact with all, but those who make themselves great create enormous disturbance, and God’s intention does not arrive when one is full of oneself, there is no room for God. This is why He prefers the little ones; he reveals himself to them, and the way to encounter him is by abasing oneself, becoming inwardly smaller, acknowledging oneself as in need”.

This child-like heart is best expressed in one of Padre Pio’s famous sayings: “Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.” Padre Pio is a model of completely trusting in God and His will for our lives. He understood that there was no reason to worry. Instead of worrying we grow in confidence in God and through our prayer we can deepen our relationship with Him and learn to find comfort, peace and joy in Him even during times of hardship because He keeps our lives in his hands.

Padre Pio’s heart is a suffering but loving heart.

Padre Pio was a man whose heart bore numerous sufferings and trials throughout his life with great patience. He saw in them a way to conform himself more with the Lord Jesus Crucified. Because of this, his heart was conformed to that of Christ.

His unity with the suffering of the Lord became even more concrete when on September 20, 1918, while doing his thanksgiving prayer after Mass, Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. When the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet and side. It was a great gift but his life became more complicated after that. These physical batterings left him bruised, bloodied and sleepless on many occasions. Nevertheless, Padre Pio maintained his serenity, abandoning his life into God’s hands.

He also suffered the calumnies received from ecclesiastical personalities and authorities. On two occasions (1924 and 1931), the authenticity of the stigmata was put into question. He was prohibited from celebrating the Holy Mass publicly and from hearing confessions. In spite of all these, Padre Pio obeyed without complaining and maintained his calm. Soon after, these prohibitions were lifted.

On his Canonization on June 16, 2002 at the St. Peter’s Square, Saint Pope John Paul II, in his homily, said: “The life and mission of Padre Pio prove that difficulties and sorrows, if accepted out of love, are transformed into a privileged way of holiness, which opens onto the horizons of a greater good, known only to the Lord.”

Such suffering made him a man of constant prayer, a man of mercy in administering the Sacrament of Confession and a man of charity who saw Jesus in the sick and the suffering whom he wanted to assist with the establishment of a hospital called “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” (Home for Relief of the Suffering). During his life, a lot of people had recourse to Padre Pio to ask him prayers and intercede for them to God. Many of them were reported cured through the intercession of Padre Pio even when he was still alive.

I see many sick people here with us. Let Padre Pio’s loving heart assure you that you are not alone in your suffering. You are united with the sufferings of Christ which always lead to the Resurrection, our greatest hope and consolation.

Padre Pio’s heart is a pure heart.

The love that filled the heart of Padre Pio made it pure. Such purity of heart was concretely shown through his being an effective minister of God’s compassion and mercy. Padre Pio, in his lifetime, reconciled innumerable souls back to God through the sacrament of confession. He was always in great demand as a confessor. People were willing to wait many days and brave any inconvenience in order to make their confession to him. For years, Padre Pio spent the greater part of each day in the confessional. It was for this reason that he was often spoken of as a “martyr of the confessional.” That is why Pope Francis wanted his body brought to St. Peter’s during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy which we have recently celebrated.

The Lord endowed Padre Pio with extraordinary spiritual charisms for his ministry in the confessional. He was given the gift of reading hearts and of infused knowledge. It was told that a man once went to St. Giovanni Rotondo to confess to Padre Pio. When he finished the accusation of his sins Padre Pio said: "Do you have anything else to confess?" and he said, "No Father!" He repeated the question: "Do you have anything else to confess?" "No Father!" For a third time Padre Pio asked him: "Do you have anything else to confess?” At this third negative answer he said firmly with the voice of the Holy Spirit: "Go away! Go away! Because you are not reformed of your sins!"

A pure heart sees well. It can see what is good and what is evil (He can see our hearts too!), and moreover it can discern God’s will. How can we keep our hearts pure? Through prayer. “Like all great men of God Padre Pio himself had become prayer, body and soul. His days were a Rosary lived, that is, a continuous meditation and assimilation of Christ's mysteries in spiritual union with the Virgin Mary”. And it all culminated in the celebration of holy Mass in which he was fully united with the Crucified and Risen Lord. From the altar, as an ever living source, flowed charity, mercy and compassion.

Today, in this Shrine, in front of his holy heart, Padre Pio invites us to also entrust our hearts to the Lord; and he says to us: “Where are you going? To Jesus or to your sadness? What are you going back to? To the One who saves you or, to your misery, your regrets, your sins? Come, come, the Lord is awaiting you. Take courage, no reason is so grave as to exclude you from his mercy”.

As we continue with the celebration, let us ask Padre Pio to pray for us so that like him, we may have hearts that are child-like, hearts that are loving and hearts that are pure.

On the day after the solemnity of Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario, the incorrupt heart relic of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, a devotee of the Rosary, will be at the University of Santo Tomas and Santísimo Rosario Parish from October 8 to 9, 2018. This is part of the nationwide tour of the relic with the theme, “Healing and Reconciliation.”

A private conference for clergy and consecrated persons will be held on October 8 from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM. This will be followed by the procession of the relic from the Parish to the UST Plaza Mayor for a Eucharistic Celebration with Kalookan Bishop Most Rev. Pablo Virgilio David, D.D., as presider. There will be a Renewal of Vows for priests and religious, and a prayer for the sick and for the nation, which are open to everyone.

The overnight veneration at the Parish church, according to Santísimo Rosario Parish Priest Rev. Fr.Louie R. Coronel, O.P., will also be open to the public beginning 7:00 P.M. of October 8. Visitors may enter UST Gate 7 at Padre Noval street

The heart relic will be transferred to the Manila Cathedral after the send-offMass at 7:30 A.M. of October 9.

The visit of the heart relic of St. Padre Pio is organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on the Clergy (CBCP-ECC) in coordination with the National Shrine of Padre Pio in Santo Tomas, Batangas.

The visit to UST is part of its tour of the Philippines, which is from October 5 to 26, 2018. The relic will stay in Luzon from October 8 to 11 in the Archdiocese of Manila before being transferred to the Archdiocese of Cebu in the Visayas from October 11 to 13, and to the Archdiocese of Davao in Mindanao from October 14 to 16. (University of Santo Tomas)

The incorrupt heart relic of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina arrived in the country on Friday, October 5, 2018.

The sacred relic arrived at the terminal one of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 10 p.m. from San Giovanni Rotondo in Rome, Italy. It was accompanied by retired Archbishop of Lipa, Ramon Arguelles; Fr. Joselin Gonda, rector of the National Shrine of St. Padre Pio in Sto. Tomas, Batangas; and two Capuchins.

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

The arrival and welcome rites were followed by a motorcade from NAIA to the National Shrine of St. Padre Pio in Batangas where the Welcome Mass was presided by Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera on October 6 at around 12:30 a.m.

A Holy Eucharist was also held at 9 a.m., presided over by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines.

In his homily, Archbishop Caccia shared the three characteristics of the heart of Padre Pio who is also known for his sufferings and trials. According to him, Padre Pio’s heart is a child-like heart, suffering but loving, and pure.

At the end, Archbishop Caccia emphasized that, “A pure heart sees well. It can see what is good and what is evil, and moreover it can discern God’s will.”

The relic is staying in the Philippines from October 5-26, 2018 making a round to Luzon from October 8-11 (Archdiocese of Manila), the Visayas from October 11-13 (Archdiocese of Cebu), and Mindanao from October 13-16 (Archdiocese of Davao).

It will be brought to San Sebastian Cathedral in Lipa, Batangas on October 17 and will stay at the National Shrine of St. Padre Pio from October 18-26.

The historic visit is made possible through the collaboration of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on the Clergy headed by Bishop Buenaventura Famadico, Archdiocese of Lipa, headed by Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, and Fr. Joselin Gonda, Rector of the National Shrine of St. Padre Pio in Sto. Tomas Batangas. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Human Resource Department of the Archdiocese of Manila in coordination with the Archdiocesan Office of Communications (AOC) conducted a two-day seminar maximizing the use of social media in evangelization on September 27 and 28, 2018, at the Arzobispado de Manila in Intramuros, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The seminar entitled “Social Media Skills Enhancement Training Workshop” was participated by the different parish personnel in the Archdiocese of Manila.

The activity aims to teach the parish personnel to see and use social media as a way to live out their faith.

Photo by RCAM-AOC

Among the topics discussed were – Social Media Jargons, Risks, and Rewards, Visual and Video Storytelling, Experiential Story Telling, Secondary Reflection, Reframing: Outsmarting Fake News, and a crash course on Mobile Photography.

Guest speakers during the training were Ms. Josh Alfaro of Radio Veritas and Mr. Patrick Manlapaz of the Eternal World Television Network (EWTN).

On July 22, 2018, RCAM HRDD also conducted the same training for the employees of the different ministries of the Archdiocese. The activity was aimed at responding to the call of becoming a good and effective evangelizer in the digital age. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The main task of a Social Communications Ministry is to communicate the importance of the message of God.

Putting into perspective the task of a Social Communications Ministry, Rev. Fr. Roy Bellen of the Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications pointed out the importance of a social communicator’s ability to evangelize the Word of God during the fourth vicariate visitation in San Felipe Neri on September 22, 2018.

According to him, a social communicator must reflect the teachings of Christ in words and deeds in various forms of communication in and out of the ministry.

A social communicator, according to him, must remember three important things when partaking in the mission of evangelization namely, the message, medium, and the process.

“Three things, the message is always about the Word of God. The medium, speak simply as how the Lord being God as he is, he spoke in the language of farmers, of fishermen that they would understand. It is not about him, it is about the message. At huling huli, the process. At some point, you can only do so much. Sana po let God do his work as well hindi po tayo ang mga Kristo,” Fr. Bellen said.

On August 18, 2018, the ACSC conducted its third visitation in the Vicariate of Saint John the Baptist. It was held at the Arzobispado de Manila coinciding with the SOCOM third general assembly.

The vicariate visitation is dubbed as “KONEK-TAHAN” that is aimed at encouraging and equipping the ministers/communicators in the parish to utilize their technical skills, develop creativity, and promote catholic faith and values un parish and vicariate levels.

The ACSC is currently organizing and mobilizing parishes to actively participate in the Church’s evangelization through the mechanism of effective communication.

The Vicariate of Saint John the Baptist is composed of the following parishes: Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord, mary the Queen, Territorial/Personal), Archdiocesan Shrine of Mary the Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA) Quasi Parish, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint John the Baptist, Santuario de San Jose, and Santuario de Santo Cristo while the vicariate of San Felipe Neri is composed of Archdiocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of the Abandoned, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Welfareville, Saint Dominic Savio, San Felipe Neri, and San Roque respectively. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has released a prayer for Filipino educators to be read in masses on September 29 and 30.

“The CBCP asks that the special prayer be recited in the anticipated masses on Sept. 29 and in all Sunday masses on Sept. 30,” according to CBCPNews post.

Photo Credit: The Nazarene Catholic School FacebookPage

Also according to the post, the prayer was released on September 21, two weeks before the “World Teachers” Day on October 5. The occasion also marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that recognizes the right to education as a social right and a responsibility.

With the theme, “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher,” the celebration aims to remind the global community that the right to education cannot be achieved without the right to be trained and be qualified teachers.

The release of the prayer for Filipino educators is also in celebration of the National Teachers’ Month that calls for the teachers to be blessed by God, and asks to “inspire them to touch the future.”

“They influence how big a dream we dream for ourselves,” part of the prayer reads.

Here’s the full text of the prayer:

A PRAYER FOR TEACHERS

Giver of All Wisdom, Greatest of all Teachers,Look upon our teachers with love

Grant them the resolve,To nurture our eager mindsAnd to never give up on us who fall behind

Bless their heartsFor they rejoice when we succeedAnd encourage us when we fail

Endow them with gentle patienceFor the path of learning is never easy

Kindly a spirit of passion in themIt is the flame that ignites the love of learning in us

Help them see the potential in each studentTheir belief in us means much more that the grade we make

Instill in them a commitment to keep on learningIt shows us to not fear new knowledge and experiences

Inspire them to touch the futureThey influence how big a dream we dream for ourselves

Bless our teachers who have come before for their work endures to this day

Let the light of Your example shine upon all teachers:

To build up with their wordsTo love with their mindTo share with their heart

The 2018 Parilympics opened on Monday, September 24, 2018, at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary in Makati City.

The annual sports festival hosted by the Archdiocese of Manila held its opening ceremony with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m. and was presided by Bishop Nolly Buco of the Diocese of Antipolo. Rev. Fr. Marthy Marcelo led the priests in the recitation of the oath of sportsmanship.

Archdiocese of ManilaPhotos by Laureen Camille Jaring

Among the dioceses who joined the opening of the event were Malolos, Imus, Antipolo, and the Archdiocese of Manila including some priests from the Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR).

Parilympic which started in 1995 during the auspice of the late Jaime L. Cardinal Sin, Archbishop Emeritus of Manila is aimed at promoting unity, friendship, and sportsmanship as well as developing camaraderie among priests.

In his homily, Bishop Buco reminded the clergy of the value of sportsmanship and healthy competition.

According to Rev. Fr. Tony Navarette, over-all in charge of the event, the clergy will compete against each other in basketball, volleyball, bowling, tennis, and badminton.

Basketball will be held for a month while volleyball, bowling, tennis, and badminton will be held on October 4, 2018, at the Philippine Columban in Paco, Manila.

The schedule of the closing ceremony will be announced soon.

Diocese of Imus

Importance and Significance

Rev. Fr. Bong Bayaras from the Archdiocese of Manila, found joy and excitement by looking at the event as an occasion to bond with his friend priests inside and outside the seminary. It is also a fitting moment to interact with his fellow priests from other dioceses.

He also noted the significance of spirituality not only in sports or any activities, more so in strengthening brotherhood with other priests.

Fr. Pascual further added that the funds donated for the rehabilitation and livelihood of the victims come from ALAY KAPWA, an annual Lenten Evangelization, and fundraising program of the Roman Catholic Church for social services of the poor and most in need, especially during times of disaster.

The Church has already distributed a total of 9-million pesos financial aid, rehabilitation of houses, and livelihood support to the affected families of Ompong in the Dioceses of Tuguegarao, Iligan, Tabuk. Laoag, Baguio, and Tarlac.

Earlier Caritas Manila agave a 1-million pesos financial aid to the five dioceses affected by typhoon Ompong that made a landfall in Northern Luzon last September 15, 2018. A typhoon proof chapel will be built and will serve as the evacuation center during calamities. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Finding the visit of the heart relic of Padre Pio timely in the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons, Fr. Reginald Malicdem, rector of The Manila Cathedral, urged his fellow priests to draw inspiration from the life and sufferings of the saint.

Clergy from the different dioceses and archdioceses attend the celebration of the Holy Eucharist during the third day of PCNE5Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

He reflected on the life of Padre Pio who lived in San Giovanni Rotondo in Foggia, Italy and spent his life as a Capuchin Friar. During his ministry, there were controversies and suspicions on him receiving the stigmata. He was brought to a secluded place and was not allowed to perform his priestly duties.

The holiness of Padre Pio was reflected during those times when he embraced with obedience and an open heart the pain he bore from the wounds of Christ.

In the observance of the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons, where the Church is being castigated by various issues, Fr. Malicdem urged his brother priests to respond to the call of holiness by carrying out with joy and ardor their own sufferings and mission of evangelization.

According to a circular letter released by the Archdiocese of Manila, the visit of the incorrupt heart relic of St. Padre Pio will highlight the celebration of the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Person.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission of the Clergy (CBCP-ECC), in cooperation with the National Shrine of Padre Pio in Sto. Tomas, Batangas is hosting the visit of the incorrupt heart relic of St. Padre Pio to the Philippines from October 5-26, 2018.

The heart relic will be in Luzon (October 8-11), Visayas (October 11-13), and Mindanao (October 14-16).

Part of the Luzon visit, the heart relic will be in the University of Santo Tomas on October 8, 2018. The whole day is dedicated for the Priests and Consecrated Persons. From October 9-11, 2018, the relic will be in Manila Cathedral. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Devotees of Padre Pio will have a chance to venerate the incorrupt heart relic of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina at the Manila Cathedral from October 9 – 11, 2018.

The sacred relic will arrive at the Manila Cathedral on October 9, 2018, with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m. It will depart from the cathedral to Cebu on October 11, 2018, with a farewell Mass at 6 a.m.

The cathedral will be open 24 hours to allow the devotees of Padre Pio to venerate his relic. Confessions will also be available.

Photo by Laureen Camille Jaring

Fr. Reginald Malicdem, rector of the Manila Cathedral said the visit is significant because this year marks the Centenary of Padre Pio’s receiving the stigmata (the five wounds of Jesus) on September 20 and the golden anniversary of his death on September 23. He also said that the Manila Cathedral is blessed to be visited by the heart relic because this year is the 60th anniversary of the rebuilding of the Manila Cathedral postwar.

The historic visit of the heart relic of Padre Pio who died in 1968 at San Giovanni Rotondo in Foggia, Italy, shows that like us, he is also human who lived in this world and endured a lot of sufferings and tried to be holy.

The visit of the heart relic of Padre Pio is organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on the Clergy (CBCP-ECC) in coordination with the National Shrine of Padre Pio in Sto. Tomas Batangas.

The relic will stay in the Philippines from October 5-26, 2018 making a round to Luzon from October 8-11 (Archdiocese of Manila), the Visayas from October 11-13 (Archdiocese of Cebu), and Mindanao from October 14-16 (Archdiocese of Davao).

It will be brought to San Sebastian Cathedral in Lipa, Batangas on October 17 and will stay at the National Shrine of St. Padre Pio from October 18-26. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Caritas Manila, the Social Service Arm of the Archdiocese of Manila aims to continue its program for the construction of a “typhoon-proof chapel" in various provinces that were affected by typhoon Ompong.

In an article posted in the website of Radio Veritas, Fr. Anton CT Pascual, Executive Director of Caritas Manila said, there were 74 3-in-1 chapels built in Leyte and Samar after the 2013 Super Typhoon Yolanda.

During the fury of typhoon Ompong (international name Mangkhut), several churches in Northern Luzon were destroyed including St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Gattaran, Cagayan.

Ompong landed in the Philippines on September 15, 2018, at 1:30 in the morning.

According to Fr. Pascual who is also the President of Radio Veritas, the said “typhoon-proof chapels” can be used as a church, training, and evacuation centers and can withstand a wind power of 240 kilometers per hour.

Fr. Pascual also added that Caritas Manila has also built a large warehouse, training center, ambulance, and 40 ft. container van in Tagum, Mindanao that can be used for rescue operations during calamities.

Earlier, Caritas Manila sent a million pesos help to the different archdiocese and dioceses that were affected by typhoon Ompong in Luzon. (Marian Navales Pulgo/Radio Veritas and Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Archdiocese of Manila Ministry on Bible Apostolate will hold a Parish Bible Formation on September 15, October 13, and November 10, 2018, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex in Guadalupe, Makati City.

The formation entitled, “Introduction on the Gospels for the Parish Bible Apostolate Coordinators in the Archdiocese of Manila” is aimed at equipping the coordinators with the basic knowledge of the Books of the Bible especially the Gospels.

The formation also serves as a requirement for the Commissioning of the Parish Biblical Apostolate Coordinators (PBAC) as well as preparation for the participation in other programs offered by the Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) and Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate – National Capital region (ECBA-NCR).

Rev. Fathers Rolando Garcia, Jr., RCAM-MBA Director and Adonis Saclolo will be the speakers during the formation.

Each parish in the Archdiocese of Manila may send two participants to join the formation who have been named coordinators by the Parish Biblical Apostolate together with the endorsement letter from their parish priest.

A registration fee of P1,000.00 will be collected for the said dates of formation.

A Certificate of Completion will be given to those who will attend the formation.

For inquiries, please call RCAM MBA at cellphone number 0919-2166744 and look for Sister Leysis or email at rcam.mba@gmail. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Catholic Education Association of the Philippines National Capital region (CEAP-NCR) Advocacy Committee officially launched the “Huwag Kang Magnakaw” month at the Don Bosco Technical College in Mandaluyong City on September 7, 2018.

Rev. Fr. Atilano “Nonong” Fajardo, CM-Chairman of CEAP-NCR Advocacy Committee, said that the campaign is aimed at promoting and inculcating honesty, integrity, and generosity to the students. According to him, it is also a way for the Catholic schools to fully participate in responding to the social issues our country is facing nowadays.

However, Fr. Fajardo who is also the head of the Archdiocese of Manila Public Affairs Ministry pointed out that change must begin from within a person’s heart, by living out the slogan printed on the “Huwag Kang Magnakaw” shirt to help promote the campaign.

CEAP-NCR is consists of 173 member Catholic schools from the eight dioceses in the National Capital Region.

On December 16, 2014, the Catholic Church officially launched in the Philippines the “Huwag Kang Magnakaw” t-shirt drive that was taken from the Seventh Commandment, “Thou Shall not Steal”.

The campaign aims to show the Filipinos’ sentiments on the corruption in the government. (Reyn Letran/Radio Veritas and Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The pilgrim image of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia visits the St. Joseph Parish in Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila from September 5-13, 2018.

The parishioners of St. Joseph Parish welcomed the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia with a multitude of colorful balloons and confetti and with songs of joys and hymn of praises.

Photo by Eijay Valerio de Paz/SOCOM Minister - St. Joseph Parish

Rev. Fr. Joey Tuazon, parish priest of St. Joseph led the welcome Mass on September 5, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. Sister Pablita Lagasca led the Panalangin ng Pagtanggap to the Blessed Mother at the opening of the Mass.

In his homily, Fr. Tuazon reflected on the various miraculous deeds of the Blessed Mother in the lives of the faithful and how these miracles affect their faith in God.

On September 11, a Healing Mass will be held at 6:30 p.m. with the Manto Imposition of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia while on September 12, a Solemn farewell Mass will be held at 6:30 p.m. to be followed by a procession at 7:30 p.m.

The image will be brought back to Naga on September 13, 2018. (Eijay Valerio de Paz/SOCOM Minister - St. Joseph Parish)

The incorrupt image of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina will be in the Philippines from October 6-26, 2018.

The heart relic will arrive on the evening of October 5, 2018, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). It will be followed by a motorcade to the National Shrine of Padre Pio in Sto. Tomas, Batangas where the welcome Mass will be held between 1-2 a.m. on October 6, 2018.

During a press conference held on Wednesday, September 5, 2018, Fr. Joselin Gonda, Rector of the National Shrine of St. Padre Pio in Batangas, said that the heart relic will be brought to the three major islands of the country, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

Padre Pio’s heart relic will visit Luzon on October 8-10 and will be hosted by the Archdiocese of Manila while the visit in the Visayas will take place on October 11-13 and will be hosted by the Archdiocese of Cebu. The Mindanao visit is scheduled on October 14-16 and will be hosted by the Archdiocese of Davao.

On October 17, the heart relic will go back to Batangas where a concelebrated Mass will be held at the San Sebastian Cathedral in Lipa City. After the Mass, it will proceed to the Capuchin Monastery at Brgy. San Sebastian in the city for the exclusive veneration of the Capuchins of the Philippines. The Saint belongs to the Capuchin branch of the Franciscan Order.

On October 18, the relic stays at the National Shrine, and a round the clock veneration takes place until its departure on October 26, after, a farewell Mass at 9:00 in the morning.

In a press release, Fr. Gonda noted that this year will mark two milestones in the life of Padre Pio.

“First, on September 20, we will commemorate the Centennial (100 years) of Padre Pio’s receiving the stigmata (the five wounds of Jesus). Second, we will celebrate his golden death anniversary (50 years) on September 23,” explained Fr. Jojo Gonda when asked why he thought of inviting the heart relic to the National Shrine.

“The visit of the heart relic is a fitting epilogue to these two important events in the life of St. Padre Pio. Besides, it is the Year of the Clergy and the Consecrated Persons. Padre Pio, given as a role model for them, can be an inspiration and challenge to us to have a heart like his, close to the Eucharistic and forgiving heart like the Lord,” he added.

The Philippines is the fourth country that this heart relic will visit. It has already visited the United States, Paraguay, and Argentina.

The historic visit is made possible through the collaboration of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on the Clergy headed by Bishop Buenaventura Famadico, Archdiocese of Lipa, headed by Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, and Fr. Joselin Gonda, Rector of the National Shrine of St. Padre Pio in Sto. Tomas Batangas.

Saint Padre Pio was born on May 25, 1887, and died in 1968 at San Giovanni Rotondo in Foggia, Italy where he spent his entire life as a Capuchin Friar.

The Parish of St. Padre Pio in San Pedro, Sto. Tomas, Batangas was initially established at the chapel of Barangay San Pedro on June 28, 2003, by His Eminence, Gaudencio Cardinal B. Rosales, D.D. (Archbishop Emeritus of Manila), then Archbishop of Lipa.

On July 11, 2015, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) voted unanimously to declare this Shrine as National Shrine of St. Padre Pio. This is the first shrine to be declared as a national shrine in the Archdiocese of Lipa, in the whole province of Batangas. The Solemn Declaration was held on September 14, 2015. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Radio Veritas 846, the Catholic radio station in the AM band of the Archdiocese of Manila holds Marian Exhibit from September 1-16, 2018 at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong City.

On its 12th year of informing and propagating the devotion to the Blessed Mother, the exhibit entitled, “Marian Healing Exhibit” highlights canonically crowned and popular venerated images as well as life-sized images of the Blessed Virgin Mary from various parts of the country.

Photo by Carl Geronimo/Radio Veritas

The formal opening and blessing of the exhibit was held on September 1, 2018, and was led by Rev. Fr. Bong Bonggayan, Assistant to the President of Radio Veritas. He was joined by Miss Lolit Deala, Veritas846 Marketing Collaterals Head.

Aside from its mission of spreading the role of Mary in the life of the faithful, Radio Veritas President Rev. Fr. Anton Pascual said that it is also an opportunity to prepare for the celebration of the 500th years of Christianity in the Philippines and the feast of the Nativity of Mary.

“Our main goal for this event is to bring a remarkable experience to all the devotees and Catholic faithful as it is our way of helping them strengthen and deepen their faith to the Blessed Mother,” Pascual said.

“As we all know the Catholic Church is also preparing for the celebration of the Nativity of Mary and this event is also a good opportunity for all the devotees to strengthen their faith to the Blessed Mother. That is why we are encouraging them to join and support this event,” he added.

The exhibit is free and open to the public during mall hours from 10 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

The Archdiocese of Manila will open its 6th Season of Creation and the 3rd World Day of Prayer for Creation with a Laudato Si Conference during the Manila Archdiocesan General Pastoral Assembly (MAGPAS) on Saturday, September 1, 2018, at the Cardinal Sin Auditorium in Paco Manila, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Go and Repair my house, which, as you can see, lies in ruins.” A timely call for all of us during this time of global ecological crisis. Pope Francis reminded us in his message during the 3rd year anniversary of the encyclical, Laudato Si.

The conference will develop the Laudato Si theme of Integral Ecology and inspire us to the Ecological Conversion that most of us need to undergo in order to help repair the damage done to God’s creation.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo will deliver a talk on Laudato Si and Ecological Conversion at 8:45 a.m. and will preside the Holy Eucharist at 4:00 p.m.

Aside from the various talks on Laudato Si, Archdiocese of Manila will also launch its campaign of addressing plastic pollution through Ecobrick Workshop and demonstration of the use of the finished product. Ecobrick is the most practical, simple and accessible technology that everyone can participate.

From September 2 to October 6, one Laudato Si chapter from the Faith Exposed Video of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle will be shown before the start of every Sunday Mass as a way of continuing education and call to ecological conversion.

Meanwhile, all the parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila will celebrate the Season of Creation from September 2, 2018 to October 6, 2018 with various concrete activities like Ecobrick and LampAraw assembling as witnessing to the proper care of our common Home.

His Holiness Pope Francis proclaimed September 1, 2015, as the World Day of Prayer for Creation. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Personnel of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) housed in Arzobispado de Manila participated in Shelter-In-Place and Fire Evacuation Drills on Thursday, August 23, 2018, at their office in Intramuros, Manila. It is aimed at preparing and ensuring the readiness of the community in responding to various types of crisis and disasters.

The Station Commander of Intramuros Fire Sub-Station Chief Inspector Jema B. Wee and her team witnessed the drills.

Photo by Laureen Camille Jaring

Shelter-In-Place Drill (in situations where there is an imminent threat to one’s safety)

The rapid ringing of the bell signaled the beginning of the drill at 4 in the afternoon while two unidentified men entered the building. Employees inside their offices closed and locked the doors and windows, and sought cover. Lights were turned off and mobile phones and other devices were turned into silent mode.

Those employees outside the room or those who are in the lobby, stairs, and hallway looked for a safe and secure place. They also placed their gadgets into silent mode.

Everyone was in silence until an announcement over the Public Address (PA) system was made that ended the drill.

FIRE EVACUATION

A few minutes after the first drill, the fire alarm was activated. All the employees came out from their rooms carrying their personal belongings. Some brought with them important documents and laptop. Members of the RCAM disaster team immediately guided the employees in proceeding to the parking lot designated as the evacuation area. The Disaster Team made sure that no employees were left inside the building.

Last August 2, 2018, an Earthquake and Compound Shutdown Drills were also conducted to familiarize the employees what to do in case an actual earthquake and other emergency happen.

The Emergency Drill was organized by Emergency Response Team composed of volunteer employees from the different department. ERT is chair by Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente F. Ignacio. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

“Duyog Ta, Bai” emerged as the winner of the pocket newscasting during the 4th National Catholic Media Convention.

Among the five entries of pocket newscasting during the media convention, “Duyog Ta, Bai” or “We Accompany Each Other” won the championship award for producing the news reporting video in the 4th National Catholic Media Convention held at Mergrande Ocean Resort, Davao City last August 6-9, 2018.

“Duyog Ta, Bai” is a three-minute video that featured the culture and lifestyle of the indigenous people at the Kadayawan Village in Davao City.

The Kadayawan Cultural Village in Magsaysay Park becomes a place for culture and peace. The village features the houses of 11 different tribes namely: Taosug, Maguindanaon, Iranun, Kagan, Maranao, Sama, Klata, Ata, Ubo Manuvo, Matigsalog, and Tagabawa.

The village also showcases the rich culture of the 11 tribes through their native houses and display of their handicrafts, crops, and clothes. The different tribes also perform their dance, play their music, wear their traditional clothes, and hold their sacred rituals.

Peace in Davao

The Kadayawan Village where the 11 different tribes are located, is a diverse community. Each tribe, though they differ in some aspects, work together for a common goal: to be at peace with one another despite their differences.

According to the indigenous people who live in the village, they give importance to their culture. But the most important thing that matters is peace and unity among the tribes.

Fhebelyn Mohamad who lives in Kadayawan Village said that mutual respect brings peace among them and the people who visit their village.

The “Duyog Ta, Bai” group is composed of delegates from the different dioceses and archdioceses in the Philippines namely: Caloocan, Pasig, Novaliches, Malolos, Bacolod, Digos, Boac, Tagum, Sorsogon, Bangued, Jaro, and Manila.

Photo by Albert Gerez/Diocese of Pasig

The 4th National Catholic Media Convention was organized by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Social Communications (CBCP-ECSC) and was hosted by the Archdiocese of Davao. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Alam n’yo po medyo na dismaya ako nung binabasa ko yung gospel for today. Naghahanda tayo ng 100 years ng Catholic Women’s League and yet, are two women who are in league with each other, certainly they are not Catholic Women, hindi Catholis Women’s League, ang napagkasunduan nila, napagkutyabahan nila ay hilingin na si Juan Bautista ay patayin dahil merong sinabi na hindi nakatuwa ni Herodias at sa kanyang kasama na si Herodes Antipas. Pero on the other hand, nang mabasa koi to medyo natuwa ako sapagkat, women in league with each other can accomplish many things that are either good or bad. In this case they accomplished something bad, but in the case of the Catholic Women’s League, you are in league with each other for something very beautiful, so that you want to become indeed disciples of the Lord and missionary servant disciples practicing charity, work and loyalty. That is a league that is very, very helpful. Iniisip ko tinanong ko kanina ilan na ba ang mga Catholic Women’s League, sabi sa akin 250,000, at mula sa Batanes hanggang Jolo sabi nga po ni Cardinal Rosales, “ubiquitous”, makikita sa lahat ng dako, kahit saan ka magpunta, merong naka asul at puti na Catholic Women’s League, can you imagine that, 250,000 women in league with each other to do good, to follow the Lord and to bring the good news to others by your service in love, work and loyalty, how wonderful! Kaya tignan naman ninyo, kayo po sa totoo lang ang laki ng magagawa ninyo para sa ating lipunan, at ginagawa na ninyo pero marami pa rin kayong magagawa. Isipin po ninyo, pano ninyo maiimpluwensyahan ang inyong mga asawa, ang inyong mga anak, ang inyong mga apo, para sa gayun, sila ay matulad din sa inyo na naglilingkod sa Panginoon at naghahatid ng magandang balit. Yan po ay magagawa ninyo at kung si Herodias malakas kay Herodes sigurado ko, kayo rin malakas din sa mga mister ninyo, sa mga anak ninyo, sa mga apo ninyo. Yung mga mister ninyo paghindi sumunod sa inyo, itsapwera ninyo sa kulambo e siguradong babait yan kung inyong tutulungan na magbait. That is one area how you can help you husband, your sons, your grandchildren, become people who will also serve the Lord in the society that we live in and which is unfortunately is not the society that we all desire to have in our lifetime. Kaya po isa yan.

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

Ang ikalawa ay yung, ngayon, nagdiriwang tayo ng Fiesta ni St. John Mary Vianney, harinawa po ay ipanalangin ninyo at tulungan ninyo na dumami ang nagpapari. Napakalaki ng magagawa ninyo sa pagdami ng mga kaparian at mga people in consecrated life, maybe you can do that during this year as we prepare for the centennial it so happen that it is also the year of the clergy and of people in consecrated life. Maybe you can have special projects in order to help people become good priests, to help other people consecrated to the Lord and live their consecration in the mission that they do for the church and for our society. Pagka ganito po, maganda ang league ng mga kababaihan, Catholic Women’s League na talaga. Kaya we ask the blessing of the Lord for you as you prepare for your 100 year and may you continue in your march and in your pilgrimage to become faithful and servant disciples of the Lord, bringing the mission of Christs to our fellowmen and to our society, Amen.

Pondo ng Pinoy, a poverty alleviation program initiated by Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop-Emeritus of Manila will celebrate its 14th year anniversary on August 12, 2018.

The celebration will begin with a motorcade going to Manila Cathedral. The thirteen vicariates in the Archdiocese of Manila are expected to participate in the motorcade.

At 11 a.m., a Thanksgiving Mass will be held at the Manila Cathedral to be presided by His Eminence Luis Antonio.G. Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila.

￼On its fourteenth year, Pondo ng Pinoy continues to aspire to reach more people and create greater awareness of its existence especially in the parish communities.

In his letter addressed to parish priests in the Archdiocese of Manila, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo of the Team Ministry of Pondo ng Pinoy asked the priests and its parishioners for full support and cooperation in the said activity.

"Your participation with your fellow parish priests/priests in the vicariates and communities in the parish and urban areas, religious congregations and schools (administrators, faculties, staff amd students) in evangelization and social development programs of Pondo ng Pinoy will be highly appreciated," Pabillo said.

The prelate also asked the parish priests to incorporate Pondo ng Pinoy in their homilies in August.

Pondo ng Pinoy was launched in 2004 by then Archbishop of Manila, Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales during the Manila Archdiocesan General Pastoral Assembly (MAGPAS).

With its motto, "Anumang maliit basta't malimit ay patungong langit," Pondo ng Pinoy encourages the faithful to do small acts of kindness and solidarity in the simplest way by saving 25 centavos a day. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Media Directors and Catholic Communicators in the different parts of the Philippines gathered for the 4th National Catholic Media Convention from Aug. 6-9, 2018 at the Mergrande Ocean Beach Resort in Talomo, Davao City.

Dubbed with the theme: "Ako ni, Bai!" (It is I!), the convention aims to deepen the spirituality of the Catholic media making use of the modern tools and technology in the present world in order to build and create a unified society.

The convention commenced with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided over by Most Rev. Romulo Valles of Davao and President, Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) at the San Pedro Cathedral on August 6, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. He was joined by Bishop George Rimando, Auxiliary Bishop, and Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig and ECSC Chairman. Archbishop Vallles also delivered the keynote address during the second day of the convention.

Photo by Laureen Camille Jaring

Attended by 137 delegates (45 priests, 7 religious sisters, and 85 lay people), the convention featured various speakers who shared their expertise in the field of media and journalism.

In his homily, Archbishop Valles emphasized that a Catholic Communicator must have a heart that is full of joy and delight and possesses hope and confidence in order to articulate the truth in situations of good and evil.

“To be a media person that would convey to the community a message that is filled with joy and delight is so wonderful,” Archbishop Valles said.

The 4th National Catholic Media Convention was organized by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Social Communications (CBCP-ECSC) and was hosted by the Archdiocese of Davao. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Synthesis delivered by His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, during the last day of the Fifth Philippine Conference on New Evangelization held at the University of Santo Tomas on July 22, 2018

Parang there is no need with a synthesis ano? With this family present among us, but I have to fulfill my task, kailangang sumunod ako sa OPNE (Office of the Promotion of New Evangelization) Office. Sabi nila, “Kardinal, magbigay ka ng synthesis.” “Opo.” (Laughter) So this is the fifth edition of PCNE and every year we try to follow a theme that is given to us by the universal church or by the church in the Philippines. Naalaala nyo yung Year of Mercy? This year in the Philippines as part of our preparation for the 500 Anniversary of the arrival of Christianity, the Bishops declared this year to be dedicated to a reflection on the role the ministry of the ordained and of consecrated people. The focus of the year is really servant leadership, but for PCNE, for our purposes, we maintained the theme of our servant leadership but, we went to another biblical passage. Kasi the CBCP focused on the washing of the feet, while that stunts, hindi naman malalampasan yung paghuhugas ng paa, but we look for another image, since the bible specially the gospels are full, are full of this images of servant leadership. And according to our program, ito po, program book, if you look at page 5, we chose Mark 6: 30-44 and it’s a parallel in John 6: 1-14. Kaya po ang napili nating theme was, “Moved with Compassion… Feed the Multitude.” And for the synthesis, kasi baka abutin tayo ng five days dito kung uulitin ko lahat, e mahirap na ho yon, hindi na synthesis yon…

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

I was trying to find the way to bring together the different themes and topics, and I thought, why not go back to the biblical text, Mark 6: 30-44 and John 6: 1-14. But I would like to point on one detail, yung Mark 6: 30-44, was preceded by the sending of the Apostles. They were sent by Jesus, two by two, and they were told to proclaim the good news, they were given authority to expel demons, to cure the sick, but they should not bring money, they should not bring an extra tunic, ano ho? Wala. Kasi tayo po minsan, nadala na lahat. Ang nakalimutan ‘yung gospel. When Jesus sent someone, you are sent to bring the good news. The Evangelion. And to evangelize, evangelization means bringing good news. E tayong mga Pilipino kapag magpi-picnic dala na lahat. Biscuit, tubig, fried chicken, kanin, balut, tabo… lahat. Dala-dala ba ang ang ebanghelyo? That’s why Jesus is reminding them, “Please, don’t allow yourselves to be distracted. Bring what is necessary.” And you should be vulnerable because the gospel that you are proclaiming is the kingship of God. So show by your vulnerability that you are first to believe that God cares… that you can depend on God. So it’s not just the message but also the lifestyle. And if Icnnot talk anymore about the message as in some parts of the world, your lifestyle, your person will be the good news that God reigns. Doon nagsimula e. They were sent and then they came back to Jesus. Jesus summoned them. Gano’n lang naman e, Jesus sends and we come back to Jesus. You come back to the one who sends you. Kaya delikado ‘yung hindi pinapadala. Kanino ka babalik? If you are not sent, to whom will you go back? Hay, kapatid nating mga pari, mga religious, minsan hindi naman tayo pinadadala e. Tayo ang namimili kung saan pupunta, kaya walang mabalikan. You will return only to the one that has sent you. Peace… (laughter) Now, this passage in St. Mark was the return of the apostles to the one who had sent them, Jesus. And they told Him what had happened on their mission and what they had thought. They presented to Jesus the content of their teaching and also the activities and results. Their Jesus saw calm and rest. Look at the compassionate Jesus – calm and rest awhile. But the people got to that faraway place before the disciples in the end their only rest was in the boat going to the place. Jesus saw them like a sheep without a shepherd, and He was moved with compassion. And then you know the rest of the story. Jesus asking them, well, give them something to eat. It is quiet similar in the version of St. John. Except that in St. John, it was Jesus’ mission, not the mission of the twelve. He was the one who engage in the mission. Siya ‘yung nagturo, siya ‘yung nangral., siya ‘yung naggawa ng milagro, pero walang naniwala sa kanya. Kaya hindi lang ‘yung mga apostoles ‘yung pagod. Si Jesus mismo pagod na pagod. And then, people followed at gano’n na naman ang nangyari. Jesus was moved with compassion and asked the disciples about feeding the multitude. Naaalaala niyo na ‘yung gospel passages. Do I need to read pa the whole text? Naalaala niyo na naman e. Ayan, o. Kayo diyan, naaalaala ninyo?

Now linking it to what has happened these past few days, I would like to highlight a few things. The first point for our synthesis: Jesus saw the needs of His disciples and they saw the needs of the crowds. Sa mga heart to heart talk, doon sa listening heart, doon sa ating mga sharing, doon po sa ating mga workshops, we were brought, our eyes were opened, our hearts were opened to the many needs of our world today. The needs of the people in Marawi , the needs of the families in Payastas, the needs of the youth, the needs of the parishes, the needs of the drug dependents. Our talks, our sharing, our storytelling, our workshops were a way of making us see… making us see the needs – the way Jesus saw the needs of his disciples and the disciples saw the needs of the world. Pero ito, after seeing the needs, the calling to respond. And Jesus challenged the disciples, in both cases in Mark and John, He challenged them, “Why don’t you give them something to eat?” In St. John, he asked Philip, “Where can we buy food for this crowd?” Hay nako Hesus! He was asking the humanly impossible. And he knew it, ha! Itong si Jesus talaga? Alam naman niya e… Alam naman niya… He knew, and that’s why the objection of the disciples was logical. It came from the some sort of unbelief na… Haaayy Hesus, hello? Talaga bang iyan ang sinasabi mo? Pakainin namin? Kung ako sasabihan ngayon, “bigyan mo ng hapunan lahat ng um-attend ng PCNE.” (Applause… laughter) Sasabihin ko, “Jesus pauwiin na hangga’t maaga. Pauwiin! Let them go home before sundown.” I understand. I won’t judge. Kaya ‘yung iba sa inyo na very harsh on the twelve, please! Ilagay niyo ‘yung sarili ninyo sa kanila. Kasi minsan tayo kung mag-ano, the twelve callus of heart! Mga gan’yan. No! How do you feed five thousand? And then Jesus of course knew that you needed two hundred days wages to buy food. He knew that they had nothing. And that was part of evangelization. Two days wages worth of food would not even be enough. That was their conclusion. But then Jesus asked, “How many loaves do you have?” And then in St. John’s gospel Andrew said, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves.” So there are five loaves, two fish, at tama ‘yung tanong nila, what good will that bring?

Now how is this part of the new evangelization? I think Jesus exposes the disciples to the needs and challenges them to respond to the needs knowing that they cannot do it. He wants them to feel and experience the helplessness of being able to provide what is needed. Even with the impulse, the desire, to respond, you feel helpless. “How? How could I?” Yes, goodwill is there. But humanly speaking, I have to admit the impossibility of being able to satisfy the needs of others. And this sense of helplessness is punctuated by an attitude that is calculating and practical. Biruin mo ‘yung mga apostoles nakapag-calculate na agad. Dalawang daang araw na suweldo. E ilang buwan iyon ha? Ilang buwan na suweldo ‘yon? Kapag nag-calculate ka imposible talaga. Imposible. Kulang talaga, ‘no? Two hundred days. Ilang days ba sa isang buwan? Thirty. So, ilang buwan ‘yon? Almost seven months, ‘no? Seven months na suweldo para ipakain dito sa mga tao. So and then you start calculating. You start accounting and, naku talaga… imposible. What happens to some people before the helplessness of the situation? Some are paralyzed. They don’t feel compassion anymore. “Wala rin naman akong magagawa, ‘wag na lang.” So try to distract yourself from being compassionate. Don’t allow yourself to be affected, “anyway wala naman akong magagawa.” ‘Yung iba naman nagiging messianic. “Kaya natin ‘yan! Kaya ko ‘yan!” So it is not anymore compassion, it is messianism. ‘Yung iba, nawalan ng compassion, hindi na kikilos. ‘Yung iba, nawalan ng compassion, ‘yumabang. Kung hindi kaya ni Hesus, “Kaya ko. Bigay niyo sa akin ‘yan, aayos ‘yan. Kaya ko ‘yan.” That’s not compassion. And people who are needy are doubly victimized by false messiahs who lack compassion and whose only dream is to promote themselves and their agenda. And the needy are used for their personal projects. Kaya tama si Hesus e.

I think part of our PCNE 5 as a marvel the work of the Holy Spirit; as we marvel all our sharing I hope we also feel with humility the human helplessness. The helplessness needed to be compassionate. When we experience being helpless, we can approach the needy and the helpless not from a position of superiority but of real compassion. Very often, we come to the needy from a posture of superiority. Kaya minsan pinadarama sa atin ng Diyos ‘yung sarili din nating kahinaan at helplessness para tunay ang compassion. That’s why this PCNE 5 was given with a gift of tears. Ito ‘yung PCNE na parang ang dami kong naiiyak kaysa sa nainom. Parang nade-dehydrate na ako e. Pero it was not tears of pity. I was almost always crying for myself, for my own incapacity to be a problem solver. And maybe we need to cry more. Cry, face with our own helplessness then we understand the tears of those who suffer. And we come to them as brothers and sisters, not providing solutions, easy solutions, because their situations are not really problems but dilemmas. For problems, there are solutions but dilemmas you don’t have a solution. For problems you propose solutions. To dilemmas you tell stories. Stories of people who have been I that situation. You have good smile like CJ. Could sing like their families. It is not a solution, it is life stronger than pain.

Pwedeng malaman kung sino dito ang may asawa? Ayan. (Some audiences raise their hands) Ano ang tingin niyo sa asawa niyo? Problem o dilemma? (Laughter) O sa mga religious dito? Anong tingin ninyo sa iyong mga provincial? Problem or dilemma? A dilemma is a problem that does not disappear and so there is no solution. Mga pari anong tingin ninyo sa inyong mga obispo? (Laughter) But, siguro ano ho, kasi tayo ewan ko ba, especially to our brother priests and to our brothers and sisters in consecrated life, I don’t know why our mode of approaching needy people is problem solving. Sometimes, people only want to talk with us and we propose so many solutions. I don’t know why we have that idea of ourselves, concept of ourselves – problem solving. And we do not want to admit that we are as helpless as the people who come to us. Sometimes gusto lang naman nila na may makinig. Sometimes, ang gusto lang naman nila mayroong kaiyakan. I think Jesus really ask the impossible from the disciples to make them feel helpless. Helpless, for people who are always successful might lose compassion.

I was telling Bro. Andrei as when I was a doctoral student in the States when I was finishing my thesis. I thought I better do volunteer work kasi baka my studies would… parang take me out of yung situations of peoples… mga speculative theology… and then I won’t have anymore ‘yung contact and compassion. So I volunteered in a hostel administered by the missionaries of charity of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. And then in that hostel they welcome homeless people… ‘yung mga may sakit with no families to take care of them, and also HIV/AIDS patients who were dying. Kaya kanina when the Holy Spirit sister, nandito pa ba siya? Sister when you were telling your story, yeah, I knew. Ilang beses din akong napagalitan ng mga madre for things I did wrong. It was a year that would be, parang, unforgettable for me. And I remember the first person that I was asked to take care of. He was close to death, and he was much taller than I was. Hindi na siya maka-move so I had to do everything for him. And that day he had Diarrhea. Kaya the whole day wala na akong ginawa kung hindi to clean him, change his diaper… tatlong araw akong hindi makakain. And I was tempted to call the mother superior to tell her that, “I’m busy with my writing. May I’d be excused?” But then there was a change. It was not just work. They are not just patients. They became persons. Not just individuals, but persons. And I felt becoming a person too related to them. One day, one of them was really close to death. And according to the sisters, “Prepare them to meet the Lord.” So I gave the person who has probably his last sponge bath, I change the pillowcase, change the linen, and I prepared a small vase of flowers beside his bed, and there was a set of prayers that I said aloud. In between the prayers I would read from the Bible, and I would give him reflections coming from my theological training. Scatology, the last things, death, Hell, Heaven, Purgatory, all of those… but the longer I talk the more ridiculous I sounded to myself. And I told to myself, “Chito, tumahimik ka na ha.” Parang I was not making sense even to myself. Why? I thought I was doing it out of compassion but I was coming from a position of strength. And God sent someone. God sent another HIV/AIDS patient who came into the room into a walker and stood at the feet of the bed of Richard – the name of the dying person. This man said, “Richard, you will meet Jesus soon. Tell Jesus how much we love Him. And we love you too, Richard. Goodbye.” Then he left the room. I cried and cried for myself. I said, “where is my compassion?” But that patient, not pretending to be any stronger than Richard, maybe struggling from his own coming death, gave the most beautiful message. Before mourning for Richard, I mourned for myself. And I want to believe it was a preparation for mission – to feel one’s own helplessness so that we could really be one with helpless.

The second point po for the synthesis so we see the needs, we see the magnitude of the problems; we see the magnitude of the dilemmas; we see the magnitude of the neediness, ‘no po? But we also see the scarcity of materials, of resources – five loaves, two fish, scarcity of our human resources. Some of the dioceses, some of the religious orders sasabihin kulang na kami. The average age sa community 89. Don’t laugh ah! I was able to visit a community in Northern Italy. The youngest member was 89 years old. And so during their last chapter they decided they will not accept candidates anymore. They would allow their congregation to, ano na, to die a happy death. When I visited them there were only three living members of the congregation. Sabi nila, “God raised us as a community to respond to particular need or a particular tyime, maybe God will raise up other communities. It doesn’t have to be us.” Napaka ano ho, napaka free. Now we can see that the magnitude of needs, and the scarcity of materials and then we are helpless. According to the two biblical texts, that’s where Jesus enters. Jesus tells them, “tell the people to sit down in groups.” Jesus would not accept it, “ano lang e wala na tayong pera e. O limang tinapay lang e.” No, Jesus says, “let us prepare a party! Let us prepare a banquet. Group them! Group them into fifty’s, hundreds,” and so it was a preparation for a banquet. He will host the banquet. It is not the disciples, it is Jesus who will host the banquet. He took the loaves and fish, He looked up to heaven. He said the blessing. He broke the loaves and gave to the disciples to be distributed to the people. Jesus transforms a potential moment of hunger into a feast. And Jesus takes hold of meager resources and gives them back as shared gifts and in the end and everyone was satisfied and there was an abundance of leftovers. They can stay for another day. Pwede pang may kainin for breakfast. But it is Jesus who must host it. Si Hesus ang dapat maghanda.

Yung testimonies from Marawi, yung Sanlakbay, yung HIV nga po, those who have lost their loved ones, yung mga migrants… How many of you were there in Cuneta? Alam n’yo ho, wala namang script yun e, I did not know what to expect, basta meron lang questions, “Tell your stories.” But in the hands of Jesus, nagdugtong-dugtong. Yung si Sam at si Father Chito, si Teacher Sabs, at saka si Antoinette, na hindi ko mapigilan. And then si Bishop Cornelius at si Sr. Luz, ano ho? And then you could see, sabi ng iba, “Okay ho ang pagka-facilitate n’yo.” And then at the back of my mind, “They brought their five loaves and their fishes into the hands of God and God multiplied it, multiplied the graces and the blessings.” And were not our hearts overflowing, with love, and compassion. Were not our tears overflowing also? Halos kantahin ko noon, gusto ko na sanang baguhin yung kanta e, hindi na yung huwag kang umiyak e, gusto ko sanang kantahin yung ano doon e, yung … (Laughter) Ah hindi, nakalimutan ko lang yung linya… (Laughter) yun bang parang, “They ask me how I knew that true love was true, when your hearts on fire, you don’t realize, smoke gets in your eyes” ayan! Kapag nag-aalab ang puso sa pag-ibig, ang puso nasa mata, iiyak ka na! But those six persons, six loves, six fishes, have fed thousands, they have fed thousands of us in Cuneta. So salamat ulit dun sa anim, Bishop Sim, thank you very much and thanks to the hands of Jesus.

And finally, the compassion of Jesus, Jesus sees the hunger of peoples. But Jesus sees different types of hunger. In the gospel, before feeding them with bread, Jesus fed them with the word of God. He thought them many things. The bread that is the gospel, the bread that is the evangelion, the bread that nourishes and transforms life. Yes, bread and fish, but Jesus has not forgotten the word of God. He also gave them healing, the hunger for healing, He delivered many from demons and evil spirits. During these past days, we have been initiated into the different needs of peoples, different hungers and we bring our respective breads and fish, our gifts, our charisms, the clergy, the consecrated people, the lay, the youth, the parents, the police, those in social advocacies, teachers, catechists, bring your bread, because there are many different types of hunger, and no single individual can pretend to have all the types of bread for all the hungers of the world. Kailangan tulong-tulong. From where I stand, yung iba sa in’yo mukhang, ensaymada (Laughter) yung iba sa in’yo mukhang biscocho, yung iba sa in’yo mukhang siopao, (Laughter) yung iba sa in’yo mukhang balikutsa, alam n’yo ba yung balikutsa? Yung iba sa in’yo mukhang jacobina, ano ho? Ay ganun e, masarap yun! Yung iba sa in’yo, mukhang mumo, pero yung mumo na yon, ay nakapagpapakain ng mga nangangailangan. So it is Jesus who will feed, because it is Jesus who is compassionate, because, Jesus’ heart can resonate with the many needs of people. Kaya tulungan natin si Hesus doon sa iba’t-ibang hungers. Para dun sa naka-attend ng maraming workshops, para dun sa nakarinig ng maraming kwento, ayan pag-uwi ninyo, wag na tayong mag messiah na, “sasagutin ko lahat yan!” Nako, yan ang formula sa hindi pagsagot. Ako ho kung makakatugon ako sa pakanta-kanta edi sige, hindi naman kasi ako makatula, o di yung mga tutula tumula. Yung ganyan, ano yung maibibigay mo at pagsama-samahin natin. But look at the compassion of Jesus in the Gospel of St. John, after seeing the feast, after seeing the multiplication of the loaves, people said, “Oh there is a prophet in our midst!” and they wanted to carry Him away, to make Him king. What sis Jesus do? He saw that and He withdrew to the mountain alone.

This is a detail that is often forgotten. I want to imagine Jesus going up to the mountain to be alone with His Father. I want to see Him crying with deep pain, as though telling the Father, “They did not understand me. They did not understand the sign that I performed. I am not here to be a king, they’re not looking for me, they’re not looking for the true Chris, they are looking for somebody else.” And that aloneness, He cries to the Father. In His own need, He turns to the Father. This is an important element of PCNE and new evangelization. Jesus refuses any attempt to instrumentalise God’s word for worldly goals. Kunwari gospel yun pala ambisyon. Kunwari tulong, yun pala media mileage. Kunwari malasakit, yun pala career.

My dear brothers and sisters, after PCNE let us not pretend to be the new kings and queens. If they attempt to carry us, to become their heroes, heroines, please like Jesus, cry. Cry to the Father and pray that they may finally see the true Jesus and the true gospel.

Now I have to admit, nahirapan akong gumawa ng synthesis na ito hindi ko alam kung papaano, but I just followed the biblical inspiration of PCNE5 and I hope that these points – seeing the needs and feeling helpless will make us more compassionate. Secondly, it is Jesus who feeds, we are just servers of what He prepares and thirdly, let us not use the gospel, let us not instrumentalise the gospel for self-interests and non-evangelical purposes, when that happens we should withdraw. Cry, so that the true Jesus and the true gospel may be seen and accepted.

Yesterday August 3, 2018 news media both within and outside the Church circles were abuzz with the headline that Pope Francis just “changed” the Catholic Church’s teaching on the death penalty.

Particulary, it was on the revision that Pope Francis permitted to be introduced on number 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (the 1997 edition promulgated by then Pope and now St. John Paul II and is still in use until the present) where he taught the death penalty is now “…inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and the dignity of the person.”

For the purpose of clarity and precision, let us see below the original text then followed by the revised edition:

Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Capital Punishment: Official Translation of the 1997 Latin text:

2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does nor exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

If, however non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offence incapable of doing harm - without definitively taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity ‘are very rare, if not practically non-existent.’

The Official Text of the Revised Version approved by Pope Francis on May 11, 2018 and published on August 2, 2018:

2267 Recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good.

Today, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes. In addition, a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state. Lastly, more effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption.

Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,’ (emphasis added) and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.”

Did Pope Francis Change Church Teaching?

If by “change” we mean altering the teaching in a way that it is now totally different, if not even diametrically opposed, to what was being taught before and has been constantly taught throughout the history of Catholic Church teaching, the answer is NO.

But if by “change” we mean bringing into fullness or putting more emphasis to what has been consistently taught throughout millennia of Catholic Church teaching, then the answer is YES.

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the teaching on death penalty can be found in numbers 2266 and 2267.

In 2267 we can read: “…the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude (emphasis added) recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.”

This gave the impression that the Catholic Church promotes the capital punishment as a way to address the question on what to do with those who commit heinous crimes and bring harm to society. Add to this the preceding numbers 2263-2265 where “legitimate self defense” is taught to accept the possibility of taking the life of an actual aggressor (i.e., a real threat to one’s life) as morally acceptable.

But if we read the whole tenor of numbers 2266 and 2267, we can easily see that the Catechism is teaching in the direction of restorative justice, i.e., not taking away the life of the evildoer so as to not take “away from him the possibility of redeeming himself.”

Number 2267 continues: “ If, however non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, (emphasis added) as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.”

Furthermore, CCC 2267 sees capital punishment as acceptable “only in rare occasions.” And observing that “ (t)oday, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offence incapable of doing harm - without definitively taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity ‘are very rare, if not practically non-existent’” (emphasis added).

By referring to conditions that may allow for capital punishment to be exercised as “…very rare, if not practically non-existent” 2267 almost practically rules out capital punishment as part of the Catholic Church’s teaching>

With Pope Francis exhorting in the new version that the capital punishment is “…inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,’ (emphasis added) and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide”, he did, as chief doctrinal teacher of the Church, “change” the teaching of the Catechism but not in the sense of bringing it to the opposite direction but in the sense of directing it to its fullest expression.

By Rev. Fr. Joel O. Jason, SThL, parish priest of Mary Mirror of Justice Parish in Comembo Makati City; professor of Moral Theology in San Carlos Seminary and head of the Commission on Family and Life of the Archdiocese of Manila.

Heeding the call to respond to the challenges of the times to give hope in a world full of hate and violence, the Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Manila conducted a vicariate visitation called “KONEK-TAHAN”.

Konek-Tahan is a vicariate assembly aimed at encouraging and equipping the ministers/communicators in the parish to utilize their technical skills, develop creativity, and promote Catholic faith and values un parish and vicariate levels.

The ACSC is currently organizing and mobilizing parishes to actively participate in the Church’s evangelization through the mechanism of effective communication.

Photo by Laureen Camille Jaring

On June 30, 2018, the ACSC conducted its first visitation in the vicariate of Espiritu Santo held at the Manila Cathedral School in Tayuman. The activity commenced with a Eucharistic celebration presided by Rev. Fr. Roy Bellen, 2nd Assistant Commissioner of ACSC and Director of the Archdiocesan Office of Communications (AOC).

The second visitation was in the vicariate of Loreto held at the University of Santo Tomas in España, Manila on July 29, 2018.

As vicariate coordinator of Loreto and parish priest of Santisimo Rosario, Fr. Louie Coronel, OP, expressed his gratitude to the commission for all the information they received during the meeting.

The Communicators in both vicariates participated actively in all the activities prepared by the commission. An open forum was held to allow them to express the various problems they encountered as well as the coverage of their work in the ministry.

At the end, Fr. Bellen said that the social communicators in the parishes are called to be “Salt and Light of the Earth,” (Matthew 5:13). The SOCOM as “Salt” must be enhanced in order to stand out and become the “Light” that will shine and reflect the good works of Christ.

The Vicariate of Espiritu Santo is composed of the following parishes: Archdiocesan Shrine of Espiritu Santo, Immaculate Conception, Risen Christ, Saint Joseph, San Jose Manggagawa, San Rafael, San Roque de Manila, and Santa Monica while the Vicariate of Loreto is composed of Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto, Most Holy Trinity, Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro, Nuestra Señora de Salvacion, Our Lady of Fatima, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sanctuary of Saint Anthony of Padua, San Roque de Sampaloc, and Santisimo Rosario respectively. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Catholic Women’s League, the largest Catholic women’s organization will launch its Centennial year in 2019, on August 4, 2018, at the Manila Cathedral with a concelebrated mass to be officiated by His Excellency Bishops Teodoro Bacani, D.D. together with Msgr. Hernando Coronel, National Asst. Spiritual Director and CWL Manila Spiritual Director, Msgr. Roberto Canlas.

All 84 CWL Dioceses and around 250,000 women across the country will celebrate the occasion simultaneously.

The launching is timed with the Feast Day of St. John Ma. Vianney, Patron saint of priests; also in honor of the CWL founder, His Excellency Michael O’ Doherty, Archbishop of Manila. Flower arrangement will be offered by the National Officers and Junior CWL on his tomb in the crypt below the Cathedral, following the mass.

The National Board led by Dr. Rosa Rita Mariano, president has planned a year-long set of activities highlighting its various programs. Hope… H for Holiness, O for Outreach, P for Pastoral Involvement and E for Empowerment focusing on the sanctification of its members, families, and communities in their outreach and pastoral evangelization programs. They have an active advocacy for family and life and a special program for the care of creation (Environment) Laudato Si and Youth.

Among the highlights of the celebration are the Book Launching – Jubilate, One Hundred Years of grace CWL’s History Book and a Video Presentation. Planting of 100 trees per Diocese, coupled with a MOA agreement for tree planting in the Marikina Watershed. A Memorial Mass for deceased founders and members in November and a Centennial Assembly and Gala dinner dance in May 2019.

The CWL was formed in 1919 by His Excellency Michael O’ Doherty with a group of prominent Catholic civic women among them, Annie Macleod Kingcome, Maria Villamor, Aurora Aragon Quezon and Margarita Ansaldo who saw the need of an organization to take care of the spiritual and moral, at times temporal concerns of young women, students and young professionals area. Their initial apostolate was a dormitory for them in the Ermita – Malate District which still exists and where the National Office stands. Their apostolic work then included Catechetical work especially with public school children, free night school, adult education and welfare cases such as broken homes, unemployment and family problems. All through-out the years including World War II they were at work this time also tending wounds and caring for the sick, operating in an emergency hospital set up in Ermita and soup kitchens.

Bishop Broderick Pabillo, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Manila held a talk Friday night, July 27, 2018, at the Immaculate Conception Parish Church, Tayuman, Tondo, Manila, during the monthly Gandang Gabi Vicariate Formation Night, of the Vicariate of Espiritu Santo.

Tackling “Federalism and Charter Change,” Bishop Pabillo meticulously and in full detail laid bare the dangerous provisions and repercussions of the proposed charter change and the transitioning to the federal form of government.

His talk, which lasted for almost two hours, was taken from various statements of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and similar presentations from lawyers Neri Javier Colmenares, of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) and Christian Monsod, a constitutionalist. With solid arguments and statistics, Bishop Pabillo laid the groundwork for a more inquisitive and socially aware Catholic community urging everyone to participate in the discussion, explore the issue, and proclaim their faith.

Photo by Jolo V. de Jesus

Good Christians, Good Citizens

“We cannot be good Christians, without being good citizens,” opened Bishop Pabillo, as if to answer the silent question in the audience: “Why should we care about the politics in our country?” Expounding on this premise, he then goes on to explain how one becomes a good citizen. According to Bishop Pabillo, “a good citizen now is one who is involved,” especially so because our form of government is participative-democratic.

“Ang mabuting mamamayan ay dapat isang taong nakiki-alam, nakikisangkot, nakikiisa sa ating pamahalaan,” said Pabillo. Not to be involved in putting a stop to injustice and untruth, we are sinning by omission, and in essence, participants in the propagation of said injustice and untruth. The time for asking whether or not we as Christians should be involved has long gone. The question that remains is how should we be involved. He provided a method consisting of three parts through which Christians can get involved.

First, we should see, that is we should know and analyze the facts. In today’s age of fake news, we should have the discernment to separate false from reality, and from the verified truths identify the appropriate action. By observing our environment, we stay deeply rooted in our present realities.

Next, we should judge said reality not through the lens of a businessman, politician, security officer or any other lens, but through the lens of a faithful. Our standard should not be the principles of the world but of our faith. In this aspect, the Holy Mother Church, with its teachings should serve as our guide.

And lastly, seeing and judging are not enough, as said earlier, it is the time to act. Action, according to Bishop Pabillo, is rooted on a decision. Given all what you have seen, and through your judgment, what have you decided to do? He also emphasized the Church’s need to network with others, as acting for the society is a societal act.

CBCP as a Guiding Voice

According to Bishop Pabillo, the CBCP, sensing the push for charter change, published a pastoral letter entitled: “CBCP Pastoral Guidelines for Discerning the Moral Dimension of the Present-Day Moves for Charter Change: ‘Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.’ (2 Cor. 3:17),” published January this year. Signed by CBCP President, Romulo G. Valles, Archbishop of Davao, the bishop reiterates their view, which they hold up to now, that “The move for Charter Change is and has been, the proposed vehicle to adopt Federalism as a new form of government.”

The letter is the fifth in a series of pastoral guidelines released by the CBCP tackling charter change, dating back to previous administrations as far back as Fidel V. Ramos, in his attempt for charter change he termed as CONCORD.

The CBCP emphasized the careful crafting of the constitution as the “fundamental law of the land” has been the fruit of years of dictatorship and widespread participation from the people. According to Bishop Pabillo, similar to the partage experienced in Africa, our experience as a nation, undergoing twenty-one years of dictatorship has shaped our constitution into the progressive law it is known the world over today. As such, revising it “requires widespread peoples’ participation and consultation, a unity of vision, transparency, and relative serenity that allows for rational discussion and debate”—factors the bishops believe the current political and social environment does not have.

Why Are We Suspicious?

Given these guiding words from the bishops, Bishop Pabillo further demonstrates why Christians should be suspicious of the present push for Charter Change. Bishop Pabillo enumerates several reasons why a healthy questioning of the motives for Charter Change is warranted.

Because of the new constitution, the president is granted new and formidable powers, which begs the question: Is Charter Change being pushed solely for the self-serving provisions that can be included in it? As Bishop Pabillo takes apart, one by one, all the changes made to the 1987 Constitution by lawmakers, it slowly becomes more and more evident safeguards to human rights, and social justice present in the current constitution are being removed or changed to fit their nefarious intention. From fisher-folks not being able to fish peacefully in their piece of sea or lake, to indigenous people being deprived of their ancestral lands, the proposed iteration of the constitution are stories too harrowing, if not too sad, to tell.

With the people’s ignorance of our current constitution, it is a small wonder why the prospect of federalism and charter change seems enticing. As Bishop Pabillo states during the talk, the Filipino people have no idea of the beauty and importance of the provisions in the Constitution, and yet these are all being taken away right from under their noses.

Federalism as a Façade

As the night wore on, so was the façade that was federalism was being torn down by Bishop Pabillo. With statistics showing that the Duterte Administration’s promise of devolving power and resources from the “Imperial Manila” to the Visayas and Mindanao is proven false as the Philippine Association for Government Budget Administration, Inc. (PAGBA) reports show increased budget allocation for NCR during the Duterte Administration compared with the Aquino administration.

Bishop Pabillo challenges everyone to take action! Echoing his opening salvo, he invites everyone not to cower and succumb in fear against the culture of violence that is the Duterte legacy. (Jose Lorenzo V. de Jesus / Social Communications Minister, Immaculate Conception Parish)

Homily delivered by Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of the Diocese of Cubao during the Eucharistic Celebration of the 1st day of the 5th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization held at the Quadricentennial Pavilion University of Santo Tomas on July 18, 2018.

We gathered on this sacred days of prayer not only because we are participating in the PCNE but because of the days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving initiated by the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP); while the organizers of the PCNE may not have foreseen this wonderful coincidence. I truly believed that the Lord had willed it so. What better opportunity for us to reflect on the priesthood than on a day of prayer and fasting. The Lord Jesus gave thanks to the Father for revealing to the childlike what he has kept hidden to the wise and the learned in us much as fasting is a spiritual discipline that empties us of ourselves, we become less of ourselves and so become smaller and therefore more capable of understanding the secrets of the Lord.

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

Often times we think that having degrees in Philosophy and Theology make for knowing the Lord. But the Lord Jesus said that “no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.” To whom does the Son wish to reveal the Father? Is it not to those to whom the Father prefers to reveal the secrets of the kingdom? These are not the wise nor the learned but those who are like little children. It is with the humble disposition that we should approach the mystery of the priesthood Jesus. After all, the priest of the Lord cannot be understood apart from the kenosis or the self-emptying of Christ.

When Jesus showed his love for his own, he took-off the outer garments and tied a towel around His waist in order to wash His disciples’ feet. St. Paul sings of this mystery, “though He was in the form of God, Jesus did not deem equality with God but rather He emptied Himself and took the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.” He took off His outer garments, He emptied Himself, He tied a towel around His waist, He took the form of a slave, He began to wash His disciples’ feet. He purified us by shedding His blood on the cross. He obediently accepted death, death on a cross.

Is this not what Christ’s priesthood is all about? Is it not about His obedience unto death? Christ the high-priest entered heavenly holy of holies not with the blood of animals but with His own blood. His sacrifice was His obedience unto death, His absolute and unconditional obedience to the Father. His obedience unto death was the most perfect sacrifice that glorified the Father. This Jesus is the son of the Father, the obedient child of the Father through whom the Father was pleased to reveal everything. In Jesus, the Father was well pleased. And to me, this is the real essence of the priesthood. A priest is the one who offers the sacrifice. In our time a priest is the jack of all trades, expert in multi-tasking, he is expected to be an expert in almost everything. However, we must never forget why the priest is called a “priest”. The priest is essentially the one who offers the sacrifice which in any religion is the most perfect act of worship. Jesus is the high priest of all priests because it is He who rendered to the Father the most perfect homage of all time, His obedience unto death; death on the cross. His self-emptying did not end with the incarnation, His humility even when further down. Downed to the humiliation of the cross and even when further downed to the abyss of death, He simply did not stop descending until He reached rock bottom of the abyss, He showed His love unto the end. And we who wished to share in His priesthood must imitate Jesus in His childlikeness. We must go down on that road of kenosis with absolute trust in the Father’s love, we must not hesitate to go down the path of childlike obedience.

On the day we were ordained, the bishop handed to us the gifts for sacrifice he said, “Receive the oblation of the holy people to be offered to God.” Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross. To share in the priesthood of Christ is to receive the oblation of the holy people to be offered to God. To understand what we do, we must keep in mind the kenosis of Christ. To celebrate in spirit and in truth, we must imitate this self-emptying of the Lord by constantly descending along the path of humility and renunciation, by constantly seeking the last place, by constantly seeking the company of the least and of lost, and by refusing to regard the priesthood as a career. Most of all to share in the priesthood of Jesus is to conform our lives to the mystery of the cross of the Lord. There is no other way except the cross. The priests who had gone before us must have taken up their crosses. Our very own fathers Marcelito Paez, Mark Anthony Ventura, and Richmond Nilo have imitated Christ to the point of shedding their blood.

The cross is the altar where Christ offered his sacrifice, the altar where we offer ours should be no different after all the sacrifice we offer is Christ. Sacred ordination does not simply confer power on us; it should configure us to Christ, to Christ who emptied himself, to Christ who made himself poor, to Christ who served, to Christ who gave up his life.

Let St. Paul’s words be ours, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me.” The life I now live in the body, I live by the faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me… Amen.

The Encyclical Humanae Vitae by Pope Paul VI marked its 50th year of publication on July 25, 2018.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Commission on Family and Life of the Archdiocese of Manila will feature a one-day conference that will revisit, relearn, and rekindle the real meaning of marriage and family.

The conference entitled HV@50 Humanae Vitae 50th Year Anniversary will be held at St. Paul’s College in Pasig City on August 11, 2018, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Rev. Fr. Joel Jason, Commissioner, Family and Life, invited everyone to come to the event.

“We invite all of you to revisit the message of this landmark encyclical and together let us discern its relevance to the personal, familial, social, and ecclesial challenges of the present day!, “ Fr. Jason said.

The activity will commence with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist to be presided by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle at 8:30 a.m. He will also deliver a talk at 10:30 a.m. on “HV and a Consistent Ethic of Life.” At 11:30 a.m., Rev. Fr. Joel Jason will tackle the topic, “HV Revisited.”

Well-known personalities and experts will expound on the various topics like family, marriage, social, psychological, and relevant issues during the breakout sessions that will start at 1 p.m.

Humanae Vitae, also called the landmark encyclical give moral guidance on the conduct of the faithful on the value of life starting from contraception. It also stated the prohibition of the use of artificial contraceptives.

Participants for the conference can choose one topic from the nine breakout session’s batch one and two.

Here is the list of the breakout sessions with the corresponding speakers:

The Humanae Vitae conference is organized by the Commission on Family and Life of the Archdiocese of Manila in cooperation with Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, Family is a Gift, and other Family-oriented groups.

Responding to the call of becoming a good and effective evangelizer in this digital age where social media becomes a way of life, the Human Resource Department of the Archdiocese of Manila conducted a whole day training for Social Media Skills Enhancement on July 12, 2018 at the Arzobispado de Manila, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Laureen Camille Jaring/RCAM-AOC

The activity aimed at equipping the employees with the power and risks of using social media and how they can maximize its use in proclaiming the Word of God.

Guest speakers during the training were Ms. Josh Alfaro of Radio Veritas and Mr. Patrick Manlapaz of the Eternal World Television Network (EWTN).

Rev. Fr. Roy Bellen, Vice President for Operations, TV Maria and Radio Veritas and Director of RCAM Office of Communications gave the participants from the different ministries of RCAM, an overview of what Social Media is, including its dangers, advantages, and disadvantages.

According to Mr. Angelo Dela Cruz, Programs and Training Officer of RCAM-HRDD, the seminar was a result of the needs analysis they conducted last year.

Homily delivered by Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, Diocese of Caloocan during Mass of the fourth day of the Fifth Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE5) at the Quadricentennial Pavilion, University of Santo Tomas, Espana, Manila on July 21, 2018.

I know that you all know the passage that we read today from John Chapter 2 as a “miracle story” about the “water turned into wine”. But did you know that there is also a story about the wine that turned into water? No kidding. The story is set in a poor village somewhere in France during the medieval times. Here’s how the story goes: Once there was a man and a woman who fell in love with each and decided to get married. Because they both came from poor peasant families the village elders proposed, at a village meeting, to take care of the wedding banquet for them. The couple however politely declined the offer, insisting that they had saved enough to be able to serve a simple meal for the guests. But in order not to offend the villagers who had made the generous offer, the couple said that the villagers were welcome to contribute the wine for the banquet. And so, the village folks agreed to bring one jar of home-made wine per family. Several huge empty wine barrels were put in the middle of the village hall where the wedding was going to be held and the villagers were instructed to just deliver their jar of wine to the hall and pour it into the barrels themselves, whenever ready. On their way home after the village meeting, one of the villagers whispered to his neighbor, “Just between us: you know, honestly, I wouldn’t waste my good wine on these poor peasants. They don’t even know what it’s worth. If I bring along a jar of water instead of wine and pour it into the barrel, I am sure nobody would even notice that the wine is a little diluted. Haha.” But the neighbor whispered it to the other neighbor, and the other neighbor to the several other neighbors. On the day of the wedding banquet, the mayor stood up to propose a toast to the newly wedded couple. He said, “Long live the bride and the groom!” And as they drank from their cups, their faces blushed with shame because the wine had turned into water! The moral: one little toxic whisper of deceit is all it takes to spoil the joy of a wedding banquet.

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

Our first reading from Genesis chapter 3 about the sin of Adam and Eve is the passage that was made popular recently by you know who. He gave his own commentary on a text that he found stupid, and which made him declare that God is stupid.

Let me proceed now to tell you about the wisdom of this text, which is meant to be literary, not literal. We all know serpents do not talk in real life. Oh but figurative serpents do! They are fond of juicy gossips and intrigues that are best said in whispers. I call the serpent’s dialogue line in Genesis 3 the “mother of all gossips”. One little toxic whisper from the serpent was enough to cause the downfall of humankind. If I may paraphrase his “tsismis”, the serpent is supposed to have said something to this effect, “Just between us, don’t believe what God told you that would die if you eat of that delicious fruit. On the contrary, you will be perfect! You will be like God!”

You see, if looks can kill, whispers can kill too. Nowadays, it takes just a whisper to put a name in a drug watch list. Sometimes it can even go with a kiss, like it did at Gethsemane. It takes just an asset’s whisper to lead the death squads to their targets. They also collect their 30 pieces of silver afterwards. It takes just one neighbor’s whisper to get the whole barangay conditioned into accepting the killings as justified as in the case of Jennifer, “Kumabit daw kasi sa pusher para may maipakain sa dalawang anak”. It takes just a whisper to condition people into believing that the priests who were murdered just got what they deserved—like “who would not die if you’re having an affair with several women?” It takes just a whisper to get Sr. Patricia Fox’s deportation sound like a matter of policy: “She joined anti-government rallies.” It takes just a whisper to justify martial law: “Terrorists are plotting to overthrow the government.”

But today I have good news for you. If whispers can kill, some of them can also give life. Such as in the story we heard today about the wedding at Cana. Some bible scholars suggest that the Blessed Mother must have been helping out in the kitchen, like most Filipino mothers would do in barrio weddings (before catering became popular). How could Mary have noticed the crisis situation if she had not been involved in the reception? If the serpent’s whisper of deception was poisonous and death-dealing, Mary’s whisper of compassion was life-giving. No wonder we refer to her as the “New Eve”. From her lips came a whisper that was at the same time a prayer “They have run out of wine.” It is followed by yet another whisper, this time to the servants: “Do what he asks of you.” Are we not all familiar with this “running out of wine experience” in our work in the Church? Do we not find our lives and ministries sometimes turning bland and tasteless? Even if there is nothing but water to fill up the empty jars with, as long as we have the bridegroom in our midst, one little whisper can change our humble water into sweet wine so that the guests would declare that you have kept the good wine until now!

For the past few days now, we have been meditating on the feeding of the multitude. Take note of the battle of whispers in that passage: first, the whisper of practicality from the disciples who say, “Dismiss the crowd.” Jesus counters it with a whisper of compassion: “No, give them something to eat yourselves.” Next the disciples whisper again, “We have nothing but five loaves and two fish here—unless you’re willing to spend up all our funds!” Jesus counters it again with a whisper of gratitude for the five loaves and two fish. I imagine him mumbling, “They’re quite enough. Just have them sit down on the grass in groups.” Have you ever wondered why some priests say the words of consecration i whispers? “Take and eat, this is my body. Take and drink, this is my blood.”

Dear brothers and sisters, the next time you engage in whispering, stop for a while and ask which template you’re following: the serpent’s toxic whisper? Or Mama Mary’s and Jesus’ life-giving whisper? It’s ok to whisper; just make sure you follow the right template. Believe me, the quickest way to spread the good news is to preface it with, “Atin-atin lang ito, ha?” Like Jesus did. And look, the good news continues to spread throughout the world!

Homily delivered by Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, Diocese of Caloocan during Mass of the second day of the Fifth Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE5) at the Quadricentennial Pavilion, University of Santo Tomas, Espana, Manila on July 19, 2018.

I’d like to begin by confessing to you that I used to dislike these I AM passages in John’s Gospel. They make Jesus sound so “MAYABANG”. They make him sound like a braggart who indulges in self-adulation. As in: “I AM the LIGHT OF THE WORLD! I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE! I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE, I AM THE RESURRECTION, I AM THE VINE and here: I AM THE GOOD GOOD SHEPHERD.” Can you imagine our humble Jesus talking this way?

Thank God for Bible scholars who remind us of what “I AM” means for the Jewish faith. It is what YAHWEH, their proper name for God, means: “I AM WHO AM”. The historical Jesus most likely did not speak this way. It is John who makes him talk this way—John who is fond of metaphors. John who is fond of double meanings. And it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Who is the Good Shepherd proclaimed by Psalm 23, who leads Israel like a flock in verdant pastures, who refreshes their souls, the Shepherd whose rod and his staff give them courage even when they walk in the valley of darkness? He is Yahweh, the Great I am. Who is the Good Shepherd who denounces the false Shepherds of Israel in Ezekiel 34, who says, “I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest—the lost I will search out, the strays I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, and the sick I will heal...” It is Yahweh, the Great I AM!

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

When John makes Jesus say, “I am the Good Shepherd,” he is proclaiming to us that in Jesus Christ, we encounter the Great I AM, who is a Good Shepherd. He is unlike the hireling, he says, who runs away from danger because he is just working for pay. He is good, not only because he feeds the lambs, carries them in his bosom and leads the ewes with care. He is Good, because in him we find the Shepherd who allows himself to become the LAMB who is ready to lay down his life for his flock. (John is telling us: only the one who is ready to die like a Lamb can grow into a good Shepherd.)

Some of you may have read a reflection I posted on FB about a seminarian who asked me in an open forum, “Bishop, what advice can you give to seminarians who are losing heart and feeling discouraged about pursuing the priestly vocation because of the recent victims of killings in our country who were priests?”

I said, “If a priest is murdered because he defends human rights, like Fr. Tito Paez, or he speaks out for environmental protection like Fr Mark Ventura, or he protects victims of rape and defends the Catholic faith like Fr Richmond Nilo, and his death causes you discouragement instead of inspiration, then I advise you to forget about the priesthood and just leave the seminary as soon as you can.” The priesthood is not for cowards; it is not for the fainthearted. Jesus would probably say, “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.”

And please, make no mistake about your vocabulary. Fr Paez, Fr Ventura and Fr Nilo were not “victims”. Victims are those who have no choice about their fate; it was merely imposed on them. No, these priests made a choice; they’ve opted to be “martyrs”, meaning witnesses. They chose this path, the road less traveled by. They responded freely to the invitation to choose the path of Jesus, knowing full well that it could cost their lives. This is what “martyrdom” is about. It is not about dying for a cause; it is about living out one’s faith, no matter if it could mean suffering and death. From the moment they chose the path of Christ, they already chose the path of suffering and death. So how can you call them victims?

Yesterday, Cardinal Chito Tagle explained to us that the temple priests of the Old Testament offered “victims” on the altar of sacrifice. These were handpicked animals slaughtered, burned and given up as offerings. Not so with the priesthood of Christ, the mediator of the new covenant. We are all called, by baptism, to be signs and instruments of the one priesthood of Christ, in whom the offerer and the offering, the priest and the victim are one. The priests in the image of Christ will not say, “I will offer a lamb for you”. Rather, they will say, “I will be the lamb, I’ll give up my life for you, because I am a friend of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Last night, as I was preparing for this homily, I was interrupted by a sad news from one of our parishes. One of the widows of the victims of EJK who are leading the support group for EJK victims in our diocese was killed by masked killers. The texter was telling me that the killers were still around that very moment that she was texting me. They were still looking up close if Jennifer was really dead already. Jennifer was one of the widows who applied for a scholarship for her son Prince JR a few months ago. I remember her clutching in her armpit the death certificate of her husband Ryan, who had also been killed by masked killers a year ago now. At that time she narrated how her husband’s body was mutilated by the killers. They gouged his eyes and cut off his private parts. I remember how I squirmed as she told the story and even whispered to remind her that her daughter was listening. Now her two little children, aged five and seven, are complete orphans...

The killers were not even rushing. They took their sweet time. They moved to another street, just a few blocks away and killed another one. Jennifer was from Barangay 152. After Jennifer, they moved down to Barangay 146 and killed 36 year old Alvin Teng. I feel so sad that I am unable to protect my flock from wolves. Today, in utter shame and frustration, I declare, “I have not been a good shepherd to my flock. The wolves have been prowling the streets and alleys of Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas. They have killed hundreds already, and I am unable to protect them with my life. I will bow in shame if the Good Shepherd will denounce me as a mere hireling, who remains safe and secure, who can get a good sleep in his warm bed while his sheep are being slaughtered.” I was saying this to myself last night

But early this morning, I heard the Good Shepherd whispering to me in my prayer: “You are right, Ambo. You are not the the Good Shepherd. I AM. But you are in me, just as I am in you. You are not alone. It’s ok to say YOU ARE NOT THE GOOD SHEPHERD. I only entrusted the flock to you; pls continue to look after them. Do it for no other reason than for love of me. You do not have to substitute for me or to take my place. I only asked you to represent me. Speak to your flock and tell them to grow from lambs to fellow shepherds. Never shepherd my flock alone. Only by uniting yourself with your flock can you grow together into the Church, which is my body, the Body of the Shepherd. Only then can you truly say, I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD.”

May I invite you then, brothers and sisters, to unite ourselves with Jesus and repeat after me: I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD; I AM WILLING TO LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR THE FLOCK. I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD; I AM ALSO A LAMB, A FRIEND OF THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD. AMEN.

In response to your letter of 13 July, addressed to the Holy Father, I am pleased to convey to you the following message:

His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle Archbishop of Manila

His Holiness Pope Francis was pleased to learn that the Archdiocese of Manila will convene the Philippine Conference on New Evangelization from 18 to 22 July 2018, and he sends Fraternal best wishes to you, your brother Bishops, the Clergy, the men and women religious and the Lay Faithful who will participate in it.

As you gather to prayerfully reflect on the meaning of the Church as communion and explore the necessity of communion-in-mission. He prays that the participants will be challenged to a missionary discipleship and transformation, setting their vision not only within the Philippine archipelago but also to the vast continent of Asia and even beyond.

For “It is vitally important for the Church today to go forth and preach the Gospel to all: to all places, on all occasions, without hesitation, reluctance or fear. The Joy of the Gospel is for all people: no one can be excluded “(Evangelii Gaudium, 23).

May everyone find inspiration in the Lord Jesus who manifested the face of the God of mercy in his command that the disciples feed the multitude (cfr. Mark 6:3044).

With these sentiments, His Holiness entrusts all of you to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and he willingly imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and strength in our Lord.

With assurances of my best wishes, I remain Sincerely yours in Christ, Gabriele Caccia Apostolic Nuncio

“Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called sons and daughters of God.” (Mt 5:9)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, do we not all aspire for the grace to be called “sons and daughters of God?” If we do so, then we must constantly strive to be peacemakers in these troubled times in our country. And that means to always strive to bring love where there is hatred, pardon where there is injury, faith where there is doubt, hope where there’s despair, light where there is darkness, and joy where there is sadness (from the prayer for peace attributed to St. Francis of Assisi).Photo by CBCPNEWS

PEACE: OUR COMMON VOCATION AND MISSION

Our enemies in this world are not fellow human beings, not “flesh and blood” (Eph 6:12). We do not fight our battles with guns and bullets. We do not seek protection from those who might wish to harm us by wearing bullet-proof vests, because the battles that we fight are spiritual. In these times of darkness, when there’s so much hatred and violence, when murder has become an almost daily occurrence, when people have gotten so used to exchanging insults and hurting words in the social media, we admonish the faithful to remain steadfast in our common vocation and mission to actively work for peace.

But make no mistake about it; even the master said, “Not as the world gives peace do I give you peace.” (Jn 14:27). His peace is never the peace of compromise or capitulation to evil; it is also not about the absence of conflict and turmoil. Was he not rejected by his own townsfolk in Nazareth? (Lk 4:16-30) Was he not called crazy by his own relatives? (Mk 3:20-22). Was he not called a “prince of demons”? (Mk 3:22-30). Was he not called a drunkard and a lover of tax collectors and sinners? (Mt 11:19)

Did he not show us how to deal with adversities when he slept in the boat, or walked on water even in the midst of a storm? (Mk 4:35-40; Mk 6:45-52) But like the apostles, we are often so easily overcome by fear and panic. Even when we’re already making baby steps on troubled waters like St. Peter, we find ourselves sinking because of our “little faith” (Mt14:31). There is nothing that can calm us down in these turbulent times except the quiet recognition of him who assured us of his abiding presence — “Be not afraid; it is I!” (Mt 14:27)

THE COST OF WITNESSING TO CHRIST

What is new about priests being murdered for witnessing to Christ? What is new about modern prophets being silenced by the treacherous bullets of assassins? What is new about servant leaders who are maligned because they have carried out their duties as shepherds configured to the person of their Chief Shepherd? Have you forgotten that “the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians”? (Tertullian) It is what has kept the Church alive after two thousand years. Be not afraid! Did not our master say, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul into Gehenna” (Mt 10:28)?

We are no strangers to ridicule and persecution. What we are going through is no different from what the Psalmist describes in Psalm 64: “They sharpen their tongues like swords; they aim bitter words like arrows to shoot at the innocent from ambush, shooting suddenly and recklessly.” But what does the Lord tell his disciples when they are persecuted or humiliated for his sake? He tells them to “rejoice and be glad” (Mat 5:12). These are the very words with which Pope Francis opens his apostolic exhortation “Gaudete et Exsultate”. They are the Lord’s words to those persecuted and humiliated for his sake. With the intention of calling us all to strive for a life of holiness, Pope Francis says the Lord does not want us “to settle for a bland and mediocre existence” (GE 1). How have we been taught to deal with persecution? Listen to what the apostle, St Paul, says, “When we are insulted, we respond with a blessing; when we are persecuted, we bear it patiently; when slandered, we respond gently. We have become the world’s refuse, the scum of all; that is the present state of affairs” (1 Cor 4:12-13).

And how are we to deal with divisions among ourselves? How are we to deal with fellow “Christians” who see nothing wrong about the killings, who just laugh when our God is blasphemed, and who take part in passing on fake news? Did not the Lord himself warn us that part of the exigencies of working for peace is having to go through the crucible of conflicts? (Lk 12:51-53) There will always be those among us who profess the faith in Christ but are so easily seduced by the empty promises of Satan. Remember him who once sold the master for 30 pieces of silver because he had allowed himself to be mastered by Satan? St. Paul is right in saying, “...there have to be divisions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may become known.” (ESV 1 Cor 11:19)

THE SUFFERINGS OF THE POOR

Our sufferings as Church leaders are nothing compared to the sufferings of the poor in our country. Do we not hear the cry of poor slum-dwellers being jailed for “loitering”? Have they forgotten that for the homeless urban poor — the little alleys between their flimsy homes also serve as kitchens, bathrooms, recreation spaces, and playgrounds for their children? Have they forgotten that they live in tiny dwellings that are razed quickly to the ground when fire strikes, because they do not have proper roads? Do we not feel the sufferings of drug addicts who are labelled as “non-humans”, and are stigmatized as criminals when their names end up in the dreaded “drug watch lists”? Yes, we are aware of the sufferings of those who have been victimized by substance abusers, but can we not see them also as sick people who are struggling with a disease? Should we not rather look at them also as victims who are crying out for help? Are we to remain as bystanders when we hear of people being killed in cold blood by ruthless murderers who dispose of human lives like trash? Do we not realize that for every drug suspect killed, there is a widowed wife and there are orphaned children left behind — who could hardly even afford a decent burial for their loved ones? Do we not care when poor people’s homes are searched without warrants, or when drug suspects are arrested without warrants, or detained without charges?

Do we not care about the misery of people charged of drug-related offenses and packed like sardines in extremely congested jails? Can we even bear the thought of seeing most of them languishing in jail, knowing that rehabilitation is what many of them need? Do we not hear of the sufferings of indigenous peoples who are displaced from their ancestral lands in order to give way to mining companies and dams? And how do we feel about communities that are forced to leave their homes for fear of being caught in the crossfire of conflicts between government troops and insurgents? How are we affected when our own troops die because of unceasing hostilities that have not been adequately addressed through peaceful dialogue? We have a saying in Tagalog, “Ang sakit ng kalingkingan ay ramdam ng buong katawan.” (The pain of one part of the body is felt by the whole body.) Alas, this is not always true! There is no way we can feel each other’s pains when some parts of the body are numbed by sheer indifference.

To those in this world who boast of their own wisdom, those who arrogantly regard themselves as wise in their own estimation and the Christian faith as nonsense, those who blaspheme our God as stupid, St. Paul’s words are to the point: “For the stupidity of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Cor 1:25) And to those who ridicule our faith, we say with St. Paul, “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God.”(1 Cor 1:27-29).

THE WAY OF JESUS

We wish to remind those who have been angered by the insulting statements of people in authority; remember what the Lord had taught his disciples. He said, “But to you who hear I say... bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well...” (Lk 6:27-29). Vengeance is never the way of Christ. It is not the way of Jesus to return evil for evil; no, we can conquer evil only with good (Rom 12:21). Up to the last moment of his breath, he had nothing but words of mercy towards his tormentors, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Lk 23:34).

There are those who accuse us of getting involved in political moves to destabilize the government. Nothing can be farthest from the truth. Our concern is never the establishment of any earthly kingdoms. Worldly kingdoms come and go. We work only for God’s kingdom which is beyond this world — so that we can start learning to live life “on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10). For the times in our history when we fell into the temptation of working for political power, we can only bow in shame and say, never again! We do not proclaim a false image of God, such as one who is just watching from heaven like a ruthless deity who threatens us of damnation in hell all the time. Ours is the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ — the God who saves, a God “rich in mercy and compassion”, a God involved in our history, a God who — for love of us — emptied himself totally, and “became poor, so that by his poverty we might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9).

CHURCH AND GOVERNMENT

The Church respects the political authority, especially of democratically-elected government officials, as long as they do not contradict the basic spiritual and moral principles we hold dear, such as respect for the sacredness of life, the integrity of creation, and the inherent dignity of the human person. We are not political leaders, and certainly not political opponents of government. The Church has, throughout history, coexisted with countless forms of government. The Church has always been and will always be a partner of government (especially in the LGUs and barangays) in countless endeavours for the common good, especially in addressing the needs of the most disadvantaged sectors of society. Sometimes we qualify the collaboration as “critical”, mainly to distinguish our differences in terms of ultimate goals, even as we partner in some shared endeavours. Needless to say, on some specific issues, collaboration might not be possible because of our spiritual and moral beliefs, which we persistently propose, but never impose on the unwilling. In such instances, we can only invoke our right to conscientious objection. We do recognise the constitutional provision of the separation of church and state, mainly in the sense of distinction of roles in society. When we speak out on certain issues, it is always from the perspective of faith and morals, especially the principles of social justice, never with any political or ideological agenda in mind.

CHURCH OF SINNERS, CALLED TO HOLINESS

We admit humbly that we are a Church made of members who are “wretched but chosen” (Miserando atque Eligendo, Pope Francis’ episcopal motto). We are a Church of sinners called to conversion and holiness at the same time. We bow in shame when we hear of abuses being committed by some of our fellow Church leaders — especially those ordained to “act in the person of Christ”. We hold ourselves accountable for their actions, and accept our duty to correct them — as duly mandated by our own higher authorities in the universal Church. We humbly admit that we have many weaknesses and shortcomings, human as we are. We have no reason to justify our weaknesses on the basis of our participation in the human condition, because we profess faith in the God who embraced the human condition, precisely to set a new template of humanity in his son Jesus Christ. We draw a lot of strength from St. Paul, who desperately begged the Lord to remove his weakness but only got these words as assurance, “My grace is enough for you; for in weakness power reaches perfection. It is when I am weak that I am strong” (2 Cor 12:9).

CALL TO PRAYER AND FASTING

On July 16, 2018 on the feast of the Blessed Mother of Mt. Carmel, the mountain associated with the bold challenge of the prophet Elijah in defense of God (2 Kings 18), let us spend a day of prayer and penance, invoking God’s mercy and justice on those who have blasphemed God’s Holy Name, those who slander and bear false witness, and those who commit murder or justify murder as a means for fighting criminality in our country. We invite you to join us, your bishops, in three days of fasting, prayer and almsgiving from July 17 to 19, 2018.

We commend you, our dear people of God, to the maternal care of the woman to whom Jesus entrusted his “Beloved Disciple” and said, “Behold your son!” (Jn 19:26) We, for our part, behold her — our mother in faith — with filial love. Mary, mother of the Church, be near to us especially when we tend to despair and run out of the wine of faith, hope and charity (Jn 2:1-11). Teach us to do only what your Son asks of us. And when we lose heart in the face of persecution, may we stand by you at the foot of the cross and regain our strength from the blood and water that flowed from the wounded side of your Beloved Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN.

In response to the call of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle to form communities of discernment, the Archdiocese of Manila held the Kapihan sa RCAM at the San Pedro Calungsod Hall, Knights of Columbus in Intramuros on June 28, 2018, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Kapihan sa RCAM is a bi-monthly town hall meeting of RCAM employees where speakers are invited to discuss matters of national interest.

The forum entitled, “PH National Situationer: Issues and Implications,” is first of a series of KAPIHANS that aims at increasing awareness and understanding of political and social issues as seen in the eyes of the Catholic church as well as to engage in the current political, economic, and psycho-social concerns to be able to come up with Christian responses.

Photo by Laureen Camille Jaring

Guest Speaker Dr. Antonio Gabriel M. La Vina, former dean of the Ateneo School of Good Governance and Convenors of MANLABAN sa EJK Coalition discussed the present issues in our country, what are its implications to the Filipinos and how they will respond to these challenges as an individual or as part of the group.

The issues he discussed covered topics including the economy, foreign policy, human rights, peace process particularly in Mindanao, corruption, state of democracy, and Charter Change.

Among the issues, La Vina emphasized during the forum was the controversial statements of President Rodrigo Duterte against the Catholic Church. He said that it is a direct violation of the religious freedom of the Filipino people.

According to La Vina, Duterte should be more careful in his speech and should avoid to offend or discriminate against anyone.

“Of course it’s a freedom of speech, but as a President, he cannot attack a Religion it’s a violation of freedom of religion if he attacks a religion kasi presidente siya. I can attack a Religion, Iglesia ni Kristo, preacher can do that, a priest can do that, we cannot do that because we are not Presidents we are ordinary people, but any government person cannot do that because a government person is supposed to be non-partisan, Independent…,” La Vina said.

Duterte ranted about God and called him stupid for the concept of “original sin” in his June 22 speech in Davao City.

Recently, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle released a letter to Clergy of the Archdiocese of Manila asking them to be calm and be at peace.

The Kapihan sa RCAM was organized by the Human Resource Department of the Archdiocese of Manila. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

My dear brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church: Peace! Recently, we have heard of some pronouncements and commentaries regarding our faith in God in the Catholic Church, and our teachings from the Bible. I believe that these pronouncements and commentaries have caused us uneasiness, worries, sadness and confusion. And for some, even anger. Perhaps, you are asking what I would say about these events, as your father and shepherd here in the Archdiocese of Davao. First of all, as faithful children of God, let us strive to maintain a peaceful and charitable spirit in our hearts in the midst of these events. Let us ask for these gifts from God in our prayers during these days. If we keep this peace and charity in our hearts, we would be able to love and respect others. Secondly, these events give us a great opportunity to revisit our Catholic faith, the faith that we have held for so many years. For most of us, this faith has always been the faith of our forefathers. Let us look back and examine the living experiences of our faith in God in the Church – our faith in Jesus Christ our Savior. Never forget how you, yourselves, experienced how beautiful, how precious and how powerful this faith is! Never forget the countless moments in which you were touched, through this faith, by the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist that we celebrate, in your reception of the Body and Blood of Christ. You were inspired by the Word of God as you listened to the preaching and explanation of your priests.

Never forget how you experienced the presence of God as you knelt before the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle of the Church. Never forget your experience of the Mysterious Presence of God, the God who is full of love and mercy towards us, in the other Sacraments, like the Sacrament of Holy Anointing of the Sick and the Sacrament of Confession.

Never forget those beautiful moments when the Blessed Virgin, our Mother, and the saints manifested their abiding presence and accorded you their constant assistance. This is our living faith in the Church, our faith in Jesus Christ, our God.

Brethren, for many years, this is our faith amidst the joys and the sufferings of this life. Love and cherish this faith. This is the faith that binds us as a Church, and urges us to serve and to love and to respect our fellowmen.

As St. Paul says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord” (Rom 8: 38).

Let us remain steadfast in this faith, the faith that gives us joy and peace of heart, the faith that is grounded on total trust in God through Jesus, who always abides with us.

With great trust in Christ Jesus,

ROMULO G. VALLES, D.D.Archbishop of Davao28 June 2018Vigil of the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, ApostlesThe 38th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Davao

Homily delivered by Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Gabriele Cacciia, D.D. during Mass in celebrtion of the Vigil of Saints Peter and Paul at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Intramuros, Manila on June 28, 2018, at 6 p.m.

Photo by Eric Paul Guanlao

Your Excellencies and dear brother Bishops present here tonight in large number,Your Excellencies, the Ambassadors, and Colleagues of the Diplomatic Corps, thank you for your presence. Distinguished Government Officials, Reverend Fathers, Reverend Sisters,My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, dear friends

We gather together this Evening, the vigil of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, to celebrate the Holy Eucharist where we pray in a special way for the wellbeing, the ministry and the intentions of His Holiness Pope Francis, on the sixth year of His Pontificate.

I am very grateful to His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and his collaborators in the Archdiocese of Manila, especially the Rector of this Cathedral, Fr. Reginald Malicdem, for their graciousness in organizing this celebration of the Pope’s Day, which actually is my first as Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.

The good Cardinal cannot be with us this evening because he is Rome. In few hours, he will join the Consistory in which the Pope will create fourteen new Cardinals coming from all over the world, including Iraq, Pakistan, Poland, Peru, Japan, Madagascar, Italy. According to Pope Francis, the places of origin of the new cardinals show the universality of the Church that continues to preach the merciful love of God throughout the earth, and the fact that they are all in Rome, shows the unity of the disciples in preaching the unique Gospel, founded on the rock of Saint Peter’s profession of faith.

Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI described this universality beautifully, saying: “Catholicity means universality – a multiplicity that becomes a unity; a unity that nevertheless remains multiplicity”. “Catholic” and “one”. Today’s Solemnity puts emphasis on these ecclesial characteristics even more profoundly and I would like to quote again, Pope Benedict, he said;

“Since the most ancient times, the Church of Rome has celebrated the Solemnity of the Great Apostles Peter and Paul as a single Feast on the same day, 29th June. It was through their martyrdom, that they became brothers; together they founded the new Christian Rome. The blood of martyrs does not invoke revenge but reconciliation. It is not presented as an accusation but rather as the “fairer light”, as the force of love that overcomes hatred and violence, thus founding a new city, a new community. Through their martyrdom, they – Peter and Paul – became Roman citizen forever. Through their martyrdom, through their faith and love, both Apostles point to where true hope lies; they are founders of a new sort of city that must be constantly rebuilt in the midst of the old human city that is threatened by the opposing forces of human sin and selfishness. By virtue of their martyrdom, Peter and Paul are in a reciprocal relationship forever. They died for the one Christ and in their witness for which they gave their lives, they are one.

Now we know that Peter and Paul met in Jerusalem at least twice; the paths of both were ultimately to converge in Rome. We ask ourselves why? Might this be something more than a pure chance? Might this contain a lasting message? Let us see.

Paul arrived in Rome as a prisoner but, at the same time, as a Roman citizen who, precisely as such, after his arrest in Jerusalem had appealed to the Emperor to whose tribunal he was taken. However, in a deeper sense Paul came to Rome of his own free will. Through some of his most important Letters he had already become inwardly close to the city: he had addressed to the Church in Rome the writing that sums up the whole of his proclamation and his faith better than any other. In the initial greeting of this Letter, he says that the faith of the Christians of Rome is being talked about in all the world and is, therefore, reputed everywhere to be exemplary. He then writes: “I want you to know, brethren, that I have often intended to come to you but thus far has been prevented.” And at the end of the Letter, he returns to this topic now speaking of his project of a journey to Spain. He said, “I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be sped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a little.” These are two things that become obvious: for Paul, Rome was a stopping place on the way to Spain, in other words – according to his conception of the world – on his way to the extreme edge of the earth. He considers his mission to be the fulfillment of the task assigned to him by Christ, to take the Gospel to the very ends of the world. Rome lay on his route. Whereas Paul usually went to places where the Gospel had not yet been proclaimed, Rome was an exception. He found there a Church whose faith was being talked about across the world. Going to Rome was part of the universality of his mission as an envoy to all peoples. The way that led to Rome, which already prior to his external voyage he had traveled inwardly with his Letter, was an integral part of his duty to take the Gospel to all the peoples – to found the Catholic or universal Church. For him, going to Rome was an expression of the Catholicity of his mission. Rome had to make the faith visible to the whole world, it had to be the meeting place of the one faith.

But why Peter did go to Rome? The New Testament says nothing about this directly. Yet, it gives us hints. Peter, who comply with God’s order, had been the first to open the door to pagans, as described by the episode of the centurion Cornelius in the Acts of the Apostles, left the leadership of the Christian-Jewish Church of Jerusalem to James the Lesser in order to dedicate himself to his true mission: the ministry for the unity of the one Church of God formed both by Jews and pagan, first he did that in Antioch and later in Rome.

Among the Church’s characteristics, St. Paul’s desire to go to Rome places emphasis on the word “Catholic.” St Peter’s journey to Rome as representative of the world’s people comes especially under the word “one.” His task was to create unity of the Catholica, the Church formed by Jews and pagans, the Church of all the peoples. And this is Peter’s ongoing mission even today, to ensure that the Church is never identified with a single nation, with a single culture or with a single State but it is always the Church of all; to ensure that she reunites humanity over and above every boundary and, in the midst of the divisions of this world, makes God’s peace present, the reconciling power of his love.

In the world today, thanks to technology that is the same everywhere, thanks to the world information network and also thanks to the connection of common interests, new forms of unity exist, yet they spark new disputes and give a new impetus to the old ones. In the midst of this external unity, based on material things, our need for the inner unity which comes from God’s peace is all the greater – the unity of all those who have become brothers and sisters through Jesus Christ. This is Peter’s permanent mission and also the specific task entrusted to the Church of Rome.

Let us pray then tonight for Pope Francis, the present Bishop of Rome and the Successor of St. Peter, to continue by the grace of God his ministry of communion and unity.

And let us pray to the Lord that we too, through the intercession of Saints Peter and Paul, may be strengthened to be witnesses everywhere of the love of Jesus and promoters of unity and communion, so that the world may believe. Amen.

In celebration of the upcoming 500th Year of Evangelization onward to the New Evangelization in the Philippines, the Episcopal Vicar for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth of Canada, Rev. Fr. James Mallon will take part as the keynote speaker of the forthcoming Fifth Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE5) on July 18 to 22, 2018.

The theme for this year’s PCNE is “Moved with Compassion: Feed the Multitude,” which is aimed to celebrate the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons as declared by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). It will be a celebration of the ministerial priesthood and the consecrated life as a community of the baptized faithful, as a missionary disciples and servant leaders like Christ, and a roadmap to foster the spirit of communion and synergy among the laity and consecrated.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, D.D. will preside the opening Mass on the first day (July 18), and will lead the plenary session about the spiritual life of priests through an encounter with Christ, with the theme “Sharing in the One Priesthood of Christ”.

Meanwhile, Rev. Fr. James Mallon, Episcopal Vicar for Parish Renewal and Leadership Support for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth, will deliver the keynote message on the theme “Renewed Servant-Leaders for the New Evangelization” during the second day of PCNE 5, July 19.

The second day of the conference will focus on the ordained ministers and consecrated persons as disciples of God and their mission to join Christ as they strive to have their hearts formed.

The third day of PCNE 5, aptly themed “Ministerial Priesthood at the Service of Baptismal Priesthood”, tackles the primary tasks of the clergy and consecrated persons in bringing all their creativity, imagination and enthusiasm for the Gospel to the ministry.

Apart from the plenary sessions, there will be 13 tracks of concurrent sessions on parish/BECs, schools, workplace/government, family, youth, the digital and social media, catechesis, a church in mission, new ministry, young adult, and new trends in the church.

PCNE was introduced by Cardinal Tagle in 2013 as a local response to the call of a new evangelization. It was first held from October 16 to 18, 2013 with the theme “God makes all things new (Rev 21:5)”. PCNE I focused on rekindling the ardor of evangelization and renewal of faith experience in the local and Asian context.

For registration and other inquiries, please call (02) 405-0093, or mobile numbers (+63) 995-191-3473 for Globe subscribers, (+63) 908-119-3533 for Smart subscribers or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information visit http://www.pcne.com.ph.

The God of our fathers, and of the whole Christendom is being proclaimed in this Christian nation, on National Television, by our President, as stupid. He taunts our teachings, he insults our scriptures and his cohorts would even have the gall to defend all these by saying that the Catholic Church should repent from our own sins and scandals.

The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines), together with its Religious Leaders and pastors, denounce in the strongest possible terms these unstatesmanly, untrue and uncouth manners, speeches and attacks to our faith, and the insults being hurled to OUR GOD.

As Christians and citizens in OUR country, we have the right and duty to point out these very offensive actuations. He should repent and relent. The President should be man enough to accept these are wrongdoings and should be mature enough to stop tantrums.

With this statement, the LAIKO calls on all our lay faithful to express their indignation in a truly Christian and civil manner, through all possible means and channels.

For the LAIKO Board of Directors,

MA. JULIETA F. WASANPresident Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas

Noted:

MOST REV. BRODERICK S. PABILLO, D.D.ChairmanCBCP-Episcopal Commission on the Laity

“Be fools for Christ. Be at peace. God is the Savior. We do not need to save God. It is God who will save us.”

These were the words of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle to his priests in the Archdiocese of Manila in a letter released on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, as he shared his thoughts on the question about God.

Cardinal Tagle wrote the letter while he was in Geneva for the UN Conference on Migrants and Refugees sponsored by the Holy See. He advised the clergy to be calm on the different issues arising.

Amidst the issues that the country and the church are facing, Cardinal Tagle reminded the clergy that there are other pressing concerns they need to pay attention to like the prices of goods, job security, problems encountered by OFW, children, and women, and crimes, and violence in the community.

“While these questions are extremely important for the dialogue between faith and current concerns, let us not be distracted from addressing other pressing concerns with the fervor of faith and love: for example, the increasing prices of goods, job security, exploitation of women and children, violence in homes and neighborhoods, different types of addictions, crimes, vulnerabilities of OFWs, the daily paralyzing traffic in big cities, flooding, reconstruction of destroyed cities, combatting terrorism, corruption and others,” he said.

“We need to come together and contribute to positive responses according to each one's capability. We cannot address these problems by just blaming someone. Those who believe in God must work faithfully and joyfully for the Lord. Those who do not believe in God must serve out of human decency, generosity and concern for neighbors, he added.

Cardinal Tagle stressed what the Vatican II teaches Catholics on religion. He urged them to respect each other’s belief and to make use of religion as an instrument for peace.

“Vatican II stressed that we Catholics should respect non-Catholics and their religions. We also respect those who do not believe in God. All people should strive to respect those who differ from their beliefs. Religions are not to be used for conflicts but for mutual understanding and peace," he said.

He also discussed in his letter the questions about God and the many times it has become topics for study, research, and reflections.

“Questioning God and God's ways is not new. It is as old as humanity and religions. In the history of the church they have become moments for study, reflection and clarification of doctrine. Creation and evolution, God's goodness and evil, God's grace and human freedom, God's mercy and eternal punishment - these topics have been raised at various moments of the Church's history,’ he said.

At the end of his message, he shared a few bible verses that will help them restore their faith and peace when they are disturbed by questions about God and his ways. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Office of Communications of the Archdiocese would like to clarify that Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle does not issue any statement or message stating that the Church should take leadership over the government, particularly the one that is spreading in social media the past few days.

However, the Cardinal issued pastoral statements that encouraged the faithful to participate in activities that promote goodwill in parishes and communities. He also asked the faithful to pray for the country and for the Church.

Let us all continue to work and pray for peaceful collaboration among all Filipinos.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle presided over the Mass that officially launched the Share the Journey Campaign Global Week of Action held last Sunday, June 17, 2018 at the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo, Manila, at 5:30 p.m.

“Today, we are opening the Week of Action which is endorsed by Pope Francis called “Share the Journey”, makibahagi sa paglalakbay. This is the program of Pope Francis and Caritas regarding a humane encounter, personal encounter with migrants all over the world especially forced migrants,” Cardinal Tagle said.

The Share the Journey’s call for Global Week of Action that runs from June 17-24, 2018 is an initiative of Pope Francis and Caritas Internationalis. The campaign was launched last September 2017 and aimed at developing a culture of personal encounter with migrants and refugees all over the world.

During his homily, Cardinal Tagle pointed out a few reasons why many people are forced to migrate.

“We have the right to migrate, to live where we want to live but many people in the world are forced to migrate, they go to countries, to other places because of poverty, because of violence, because of hunger, because of lack of work, because of conflicts, because of environmental distraction,” Cardinal Tagle said.

Cardinal Tagle who is also the president of Caritas Internationalis, stressed that there are 65 million people who walk and sail in “dangerous circumstances” without any assurance that people will welcome them.

“Everyday we hear reports, we see images and we Filipinos we know there are, they say around 10 million Filipinos who have also migrated to other lands,” he said.

Global Week of Action in the Archdiocese of Manila

Cardinal Tagle reinforced the call for the Global Week of Action by inviting the faithful to engage in simple actions and gestures that facilitate the different encounter with the displaced people in different parishes and communities.

“These actions should be simple enough to be repeated in the homes, schools and neighborhoods towards the blossoming of a welcoming and caring culture towards displaced person,” he said.

The Archdiocese of Manila, particularly the Ministry on Migrants headed by Fr. Artemio Fabros, formulated a program for the whole week.

Caritas Manila opened its clinics located in 26 different parishes to the local and international migrants on Monday, June 18 as part of the healthcare activity of the Global Week of Action. It will be opened again on Saturday, June 23.

A migrant couple shared their plight during the Clergy Recollection of the Archdiocese of Manila held at the Lay Formation Center in San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe, Makati on Tuesday, June 19, 2018 where Cardinal Tagle celebrated the Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m.

On Thursday, June 21, Cardinal Tagle’s 61st birthday, he presided over a Mass with a group of local and international migrants at 11 a.m. whom he also shared lunch with at the Residencia del Arzobispo in Intramuros. At 5 p.m. on the same day, a Mass for migrant people was also held at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guia, Ermita, Manila and was presided by Rev. Fr. Ramon Magana.

The Archdiocesan Youth Ministry with its commissioner, Fr.Jade Licuanan will hold Feast with Me: Worshipping and Praying Young Migrants and Refugees at Cinema 4 in SM Manila on Friday, June 22, from 8 to 10 p.m.

On the feast of the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist on Sunday, June 24, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo will lead the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at the Saint John the Baptist Parish in San Juan, Manila, at 5:30 p.m.

Cardinal Tagle also called on the international community to “treat migrants humanely” as well as to “send words of encouragement” to the 65 million forced migrants all over the world.

Even if the Commission for Social Services and Development of the Archdiocese of Manila does not know all the facts yet, we can make a statement in line of our Catholic Faith.

Trying to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ who practiced the “non-violent approach” even if he would die a most violent death, we strongly promote non-violence. As Jesus asked us to love our enemies and to pray for those who hate us, we ask God’s mercy for the killers so that they may repent and return to the God of love.

A total of 59 bags were collected from the donors from the schools, parishes, ministries, and employees of the Archdiocese of Manila. There were also volunteers from the AMO-PDM of the Archdiocese of Manila, a few employees from the Social Security System (SSS) – Recto Branch and from the Diocese of Imus and Cubao who donated blood.

The bloodletting drive was organized by the Human Resource Department (HRD) of the Archdiocese of Manila in coordination with the Philippine Red Cross. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle will celebrate his 61st birthday on Thursday, June 21.

To commemorate his birthday, the Archdiocese of Manila will hold a bloodletting activity on June 21 called “RCAM Celebrating Life Year XI – a Birthday Gift to our Archbishop.”

In a letter released to the employees, seminaries, and parish personnel of the Archdiocese of Manila dated May 30, 2018, Rev. Fr. Sanny de Claro, Director, Human Resource Department appealed for blood donations.

“The Human Resource Development Department of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila appeals to you and to your friends, to donate blood on June 21, 2018, to commemorate the 61st birthday anniversary of our Archbishop, Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, D.D.,” de Claro said.

The bloodletting activity will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the 4th floor of Arzobispado building in Intramuros.

Fr. Dennis Ruiz, Postulator General of the Order of Augustinian Discalced (OAD) with the Bone relic of St. AugustinePhoto by Leandro-Jose C. Tesorero

The bone relic of the Theologian and Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, will be opened for public veneration in various parishes in Metro Manila from June 5 to 8 as part of its nationwide pilgrimage.

On June 5, the relic will be venerated at Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park at 12 nn to 5 p.m. Postulator General of the Order of Augustinian Discalced (OAD), Fr. Dennis Ruiz, will deliver a special talk on Holiness and Veneration of Relics, at 4 p.m. to be followed by a Thanksgiving Mass at the Greenbelt Chapel in Makati at 5:45 p.m.

On June 6, the relic will be welcomed by the faithful from Paranaque with the centuries-old image of the Mother of St. Augustine at the Chapel of St. Monica – Don Galo, which will be followed by a Penitential processional walk going to the Cathedral Parish of St. Andrew. The Welcome Mass and Public veneration will run from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the same day.

From June 7 to 8, the relic will be exposed for public veneration at the Basilica Minore de San Sebastian at Plaza Del Carmen, Manila. Masses will be held in honor of the Holy Father Saint Augustine. Fr. Ruiz will also deliver a talk on the Lives of Saints and the Relics on June 7 at 8p.m. in light of the commemoration of the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons.

The Bone relic of St. Augustine

The Pilgrim Relic Visit was a dream come true for Fr. Ruiz, who arranged the entire pilgrimage together with various Filipino collaborators and brought the relic all the way from their General Curia in Rome, Italy.

St. Augustine was ordained priest in year 391 and became a full Bishop four years after. He died in Hippo Regius (now Algeria) during the year 430 at the age of 75. His remains are now kept at the Church of San Pietro in CielD’oro Pavia, Italy. His writings like the City of God influenced the development of Christianity and Western philosophy. (Leandro-Jose C. Tesorero and Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle will lead the faithful in the celebration of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) and the Declaration of Sta. Cruz Church as the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament on June 3, 2018, at Sta. Cruz Church in Manila.

The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist by Jesus Christ to His disciples during the Last Supper. It follows the feast of the Most Holy Trinity.

The celebration will be highlighted with the procession from Sta. Cruz Parish to the Manila Cathedral at 4:00 p.m.

The preceding activities on that day will start with the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament followed by a talk on “Eukaristiya: Biyayang Kaloob sa Paglilingkod” by Bishop Sofronio A. Bancud, SSS, D.D., of the Diocese of Cabanatuan.

Cardinal Tagle will preside at the Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi at 3 p.m. The Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament follows the procession to Manila Cathedral.

In line with the preparation for the Declaration of Sta. Cruz Church as the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament on June 3, 2018, the parish will hold a Triduum Mass from May 31 to June 2, 2018, at 6:15 p.m. to be followed by a Solemn Vesper. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Our brother priest, the late Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura, was a dedicated priest, a zealous pastor, a missionary to the "peripheries". He was beloved by all who knew him. He was an affectionate person, sympathetic, close and intimate to many people: rich and poor, men and women, young and old. We miss his infectious smile and untiring zeal.

Obviously he had enemies. We do not know who they are or why they had to kill him. The Police is investigating the killing from all angles. We do not want to speculate on what the reasons are for his death. Neither do we want that the investigation be muddled by the spreading of unfounded rumors and malicious insinuations. We trust that the PNP is faithfully doing their job. We wish them success, to come out with solid evidence, to apprehend the killers and determine the mastermind. We hope and pray that the real truth will come out so that justice for Fr. Mark will finally be served.

The Catholic Mass Media Awards joined the Social Communications Ministry of theArchdiocese of Manila in observance of the World Communications Day.

The Social Communications Ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila recently held its 2ndArchdiocesan General Assembly and Faith Lens awarding ceremony.

The event was held at the Arzobispado de Manila last May 12, 2018.

Finding the event of SOCOM as a fitting occasion to celebrate its 40th anniversary, CMMA, theaward-giving body organized by the late Jaime L. Cardinal Sin in 1978, mounted a graphicexhibit of some of its winners in the previous years. The exhibit also highlighted the variouspoints of CMMA’s 40 years of existence.

CMMA is a project of the Archdiocese of Manila and shares with the SOCOM’s desire to putcommunications and the mass media at the service of Christian values.

Also on the occasion of their 40th anniversary, CMMA is also accepting entries that promotevalues-oriented media from print, radio, television, and advertising industries as well as studentsfrom all over the country.

Deadline for submission of entries is on May 25.

For inquiries, you may call the CMMA office at telephone numbers 892-4779 and 867-4026 andlook for Miss Sasa Tobias. (Jheng Manalang Prado)

San Roque de Manila Parish in Blumentritt won this year’s Faith Lens competition.

“Katok ng Pag-asa”, the video entry of San Roque de Manila Parish won the Best Video award in the first Faith Lens film festival of the Commission on Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Manila in celebration of the 52nd World Communications Day.

Faith Lens 2018 is a one-minute video making contest that dwells on the theme used by Pope Francis in his message for the World Communications Sunday 2018, “The truth will set you free’ (John 8:32), Fake News and Journalism for Peace.”

Aside from bagging the Best Video Award, the entry “Katok ng Pag-asa” also received Best in Concept award.

Lou Jeanne San Juan, scriptwriter of the winning entry was overwhelmed after receiving the award. According to her, one of the main reasons why their parish joined the contest was to support the Office of Social Communications project.

“We believe that through videos and other forms of media we can also evangelize. We are tremendously overjoyed for bagging the Best in Concept and Best Video Awards.”, Lou Jeanne stated.

The Best Video award, First Runner-Up, and Second Runner-Up received the corresponding amount of P10,000.00, P8,000.00, and 5,000.00 respectively.

There were 6 parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila who joined the contest namely: San Roque de Manila Parish, Immaculate Conception Parish, San Felipe Neri Parish, San Juan Nepomuceno Parish, Saint Anthony Shrine, and Saint John the Baptist Parish.

Our Lady of Hope Parish and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish (Diocese of Cubao) and San Roque Cathedral (Diocese of Caloocan) |from the Ecclesiastical Province of Manila also joined the competition.

More than 80 members of the Social Communications Ministry of the different parishes participated in the event last Saturday, May 12, 2018 which was held at the Arzobispado de Manila. It also marked the second SOCOM General Assembly.

Guest Speaker, Executive Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Public Affairs, Rev. Fr. Jerome Secillano, encouraged the SOCOM ministers to communicate not only the news they read. He emphasized that as “Social Communicators”, they should not be afraid to speak and proclaim the truth which is Jesus Christ.

Towards the end of the event, SOCOM Commissioner Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio congratulated the participants who joined and won the contest and at the same time thanked all the members of the SOCOM Ministry who attended the event.

“I’d like to encourage everybody and the prayer is for all of us to really be more zealous in what we are doing in our Social Communications Ministry,”Rev. Msgr. Ignacio said.

World Communications Day is celebrated on the Sunday before Pentecost which in 2018 falls on May 13, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Photos by Maricar Santos

Below is the list of winners who took home awards:

Best VideoKATOK NG PAG-ASASan Roque de Manila ParishArchdiocese of Manila

The event will also mark the 2nd Archdiocesan SOCOM Assembly and the celebration of World Communications Day.

Faith Lens 2018 is the first Archdiocesan Film Festival organized by the Social Communications Ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila aimed at encouraging servant leader-communicators in the parish to utilize their technical skills, develop creativity, and promote Catholic faith and values in a one-minute video with a theme, “The truth will set you free (John 8:32), fake news and journalism for peace.”

The following are the parishes who participated in the competition with their entries:

"KATOK NG PAG-ASA"San Roque de Manila ParishArchdiocese of Manila

"KIDNAPPED!"Immaculate Conception ParishArchdiocese of Manila

“LIARS GO TO HELL"San Roque CathedralDiocese of Caloocan

"TINANIKALA, PINALAYA"San Roque CathedralDiocese of Caloocan

"REAR VIEW"Saint John the Baptist ParishArchdiocese of Manila

“TRUTH: WHERE ART THOU?"San Felipe Neri ParishArchdiocese of Manila

"SHHH"San Juan Nepomuceno ParishArchdiocese of Manila

"TREND"Our Lady of Hope ParishDiocese of Cubao

"DYARYO"Our Lady of Mount Carmel ParishDiocese of Cubao

"TRENDING NGAYON"Saint Anthony ShrineArchdiocese of Manila

The entries were judged based on the following criteria: Technical Aspect, Relevance to the theme, Concept, and Doctrinal Soundness / Faith impactt.

In his message for the 52nd World Communications Days, Pope Francis challenged the faithful to take an active participation in the Church’s evangelization by proclaiming the Good News not only in words but also by witnessing in their life.

“The best antidotes to falsehoods are not strategies, but people who are not greedy but ready to listen, people who make the effort to engage in sincere dialogue so that truth can emerge; people who are attracted by goodness and take responsibility for how they use language.”

World Communications Day is celebrated on the Sunday before Pentecost which in 2018 falls on May 13, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Rev. Fr. Reginald Malicdem of the Chancery office of the Archdiocese of Manila released a circular letter on Prayer for the Barangay Election dated May 4, 2018.Addressed to all the parish priests, rectors of shrines, chaplains of chaplaincies, and superiors of religious communities in the Archdiocese of Manila, Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila encouraged the faithful to pray the Prayer for the Barangay Election after the Post Communion Prayer in all Masses from May 6 to 13 upon the proposal of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

Below is the Circular and Prayer for the Barangay Election

Circular 2018-164 May 2018

TO: ALL PARISH PRIESTS, RECTORS OF SHRINES, AND CHAPLAIN OF CHAPLAINCIES, AND SUPERIORS OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF MANILARE: PRAYER FOR THE BARANGAY ELECTION

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Greetings of peace in the Risen Lord! Upon the proposal of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, our Archbishop, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, encourages us to pray the attached Prayer for the Barangay Election after the Post Communion Prayer in all Masses from May 6 to May 13, 2018.

Thank you and God bless.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

(signed)FR. REGINALD R. MALICDEMChancellor

PRAYER FOR THE BARANGAY ELECTIONS

Lord God, we come to you as the Barangay Elections approaches. In Christ, you have given us the model of a servant who lay’s his life down for his sheep. Give us the wisdom to elect women and men who will work for truth, justice, and the upliftment of human dignity. We ask you to enlighten our minds and hearts – so that we may search for Shepherds after your Son’s heart to watch over our barangays. Teach us Christ’s way of looking at people – so that we will be able to give a voice to the poor, the powerless, the abandoned, and the oppressed. And finally, grant us the gift of discernment – so that we may wisely exercise the gift of suffrage as an expression of our desire for peace and love for neighbor. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us. Saints Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod, pray for us. Saint Michael and all Holy Angels, watch over us.

The Catholic faithful celebrates today, May 4, the 400 years anniversary of the arrival of image of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel with a Salubong and Traslacion.

The Marian event begins with a Salubong, a fluvial parade of the image at the Manila Bay at 5 am followed by a Mass at the Quirino Granstand in Luneta at 6:30 am.

The procession or the Traslacion starts at 8 am from Quirino Granstand to San Sebastian Church and passes by at Quiapo Church where the image of the Black Nazarene is brought out for the traditional "Dungaw".

Devotees, particularly in Quiapo, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is a key figure in the annual Black Nazareno feast, where she appears during the Dungaw, awaiting the passing in procession of the image of the black Jesus.

At 11 am, the image of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel is available for public veneration at the grounds of San Sebastian Basilica.

Earlier, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle released a circular inviting the faithful to participate in the re-living of the arrival of the image 400 years ago from Mexico.

"With the ‘Salubong at Traslacion,’ we hope to strengthen the devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, drawing strength from her and from each other’s presence. Let us take this occasion to pray for healing and reconciliation in our land and to consecrate our country to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” Cardinal Tagle said.

He also said that those who will participate in the activities will receive plenary indulgence or the remission of temporal punishment due to sins as approved by the Vatican.

Initially housed at San Juan de Bautista de Bagumbayan at the Luneta, the image was enthroned at the first San Sebastian Church in Quiapo when it opened its doors in 1621.

Canonically crowned in 1991 by Cardinal Sin under the authority of St. Paul II, Our Lady of Mount Carmel remains the queen of San Sebastian Basilica and Quiapo. (Jheng Manalang Prado /RCAM-AOC)

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo, D.D. presided the Holy Eucharist in celebration of Labor Day on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church) at 8 am.

In his homily, Pabillo, who is also the chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on the Laity (CBCP-ECL) emphasized that work should not be viewed as an "economic activity". Instead, Pabillo stressed that workers should be given importance because they play a significant role in the economic progress of a company and the country.

He also stated that a worker should have regular employment, just wage, and security of tenure in order to meet the basic needs of his family.

We are converged this afternoon in this church called St. Anthony Shrine for celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass particularly for the well-being of Sr. Patricia Fox, NDS.

Looking at what is happening around, as we register our protests against injustices and hold indignation rallies, write statements, and show our solidarity to the affected like Sr. Patricia, all the more now we need to recognize that there is somebody out there who has the last say. We humans, starting with us here, must listen to the voice of God. For our actions, our activities or activisms have meaning only if they conform to the will of God.

I do not know Sr. Patricia very well, I don’t know if she knows me, but certainly she knows God, that’s why she has been here in our country; that’s why she will leave us behind. Good bye, sister! (Not yet!)

I believe as a fellow religious, as a nun, Sr. Patricia has spent more time praying to God early in the morning, in evening, before she goes to bed and at other times, more than she studied, more than she washed dishes, more than she interacted with us, with you here and with her loved ones.

When I feel helpless and when something is not right, I ask, “what is the meaning of this? Why is this happening?” It is easy to explain. But in spite of the myriads of explanations, still we are at a loss and troubled. What is the meaning of this?

In the gospel today, we hear Jesus say to his troubled disciples, “Do not be troubled. Trust in God and trust in me.” These very powerful words of Jesus strengthened the confused apostles; they were simple fisherfolks or tambay, they did not have the education which Sr. Pat obtained before she became a nun.

Jesus was bidding good bye to prepare a place for his apostles. After his passion, death and resurrection, he would go back to heaven.

Yet the famous skeptic and ignorant apostle Thomas said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going.” As if Thomas was saying, “what is the meaning of all these? We do not know what you are talking about. How do we know what you mean?”

Thus Jesus uttered his famous self-revealing words, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.”

Sr. Patricia has kept these words in her heart during her involvement with the peasants, the poor and the marginalized. Maybe St. Patricia does not ask anymore, “What is the meaning of this? Why are they doing this to me?” Long before, through her prayers, adorations of the blessed sacrament and meditations, she has understood that it was coming. So now it has come. The state machineries are in place to get rid of her. She is not surprised. If ever she is surprised, she would say, “Why me? Insignificant lang ako, tahimik lang naman ako, marunong lang magtagalog; natutuwa ang mga tao kung nagsasalita ng wika nila. Nakikikain lang naman ako ng ginamos, ang payat ko na nga, miss ko yong kangaroo beef, sa bukid, nangangamoy araw din ako, atbp.”

My dear brothers and sisters, we can only have meaning if we love Jesus Christ, whom Sr. Patricia loved very much. She is like a lamb led to a slaughter or maybe to paradise, to Australia. She knows in her heart that there is such thing as resurrection. God has the last word. Earthly kingdoms come and go.

We whom Sr. Patricia will leave behind, if nothing will change, will continue her and our missionary work, God’s mission, not according to the definition of Mr. Webster’s Dictionary or Wikipedia. We will follow the definition of the gospels, interpreted by committed and zealous first Christians and those who came after them, our popes, bishops, saints, founders and foundresses and present-day theologians.

We will be like the apostles Paul and Barnabas in the first reading, who evangelized the Jewish people in Antioch in Pisidia, in the present day Turkey. They boldly preached in the synagogue how the authorities in Jerusalem shabbily treated Jesus, condemning him to death, but God frustrated their plans. God raised Jesus from the dead.

Well, brothers and sisters, Sr. Pat, this could be the meaning of what is happening now. We continue connecting ourselves with Jesus, in our hearts, in our minds, in our communities, banking on his words to set us free, and we together as a church, one body, continue advancing God’s kingdom in the cities and in the country sides and in the world.

With the powerful intercession of St. Anthony of Padua, we will find justice, peace, fulfillment and joy we are looking for. God bless you all.

The Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines expresses its solidarity with Sr. Patricia Fox, NDS, in her work of proclaiming the good news of salvation and liberation to the poor and powerless. As religious and consecrated persons, we stand with her and all who do God’s mission of care and compassion for His anawim, the poor of the land.

We are shocked that after 27 years of dedicated service to the poor, Sr. Pat was unduly arrested and detained for allegedly being an “undocumented alien” and for participating in “political activities.” It is simply unacceptable that in the age of computerization, the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation could not verify that Sr. Pat had a valid missionary visa. This to us is harassment of an advocate of the rights of the poor.

We demand that the rights of Sr. Pat be respected, and so the rights of our mission partners, foreigner or Filipino, who truly work for justice in our country. Let the government agencies, especially the BID, not hamper the prophetic work of our foreign missionaries to alleviate the lives of the poor and powerless.

Moreover, Sr. Pat is a missionary for Life, Human Rights and Justice. She can only be considered undesirable alien to those who seek to muzzle the truth and foist tyranny upon us.

We stand with Sr. Pat and all human rights defenders. Even in her old age, Sr. Pat is fulfilling her prophetic mission to be in solidarity with the poor and powerless. And for this, she should be commended, not deported or harassed.

Once again, we in the AMRSP, stand our ground. We continue to obey God’s mandate to quench the thirst for justice and peace in our country.

This is our second statement regarding the situation of Sr. Patricia Fox, NDS, a catholic nun working in the Philippines.

Last week, Sr. Patricia was taken into custody and detained and questioned by the Bureau of Immigration (BI). But later, she was released.

Today, we read in the national newspapers that the Bureau of Immigration has revoked the visa of Sr. Patricia, compelling her to leave the country within 30 days from receipt of the order. “She was found to have engaged in activities that are not allowed under the terms and conditions of her visa… We direct Fox to leave the Philippines within 30 days from receipt of this order.” (Philippine Star, page 2)

We are truly saddened by this turn of events.

The situation certainly involves legalities – the authorities have said that she has been found to have violated certain laws of our land. On the other hand, it is reported that her lawyer would first file a motion for reconsideration before the Bureau of Immigration to dispute the findings. (Philippine Star, page 2)

As in our previous statement, all the information that we have regarding this recent development is from the national newspapers. Our CBCP Secretariat is still trying to get more information from the community of Sr. Patricia Fox.

In this recent development, we sincerely make an appeal that the authorities may make a reconsideration of their order for Sr. Patricia Fox to leave the country.

Without entering into the merits of both parties in the case, this is for the proper authorities to decide. But this we say: We believe in the sincerity and dedication of Sr. Patricia to serve our people. We believe further that she is moved to serve our people by the love of Christ. “The love of Christ urges us.” (2 Cor. 5:14)

With a hope for a reconsideration regarding the BI’s order after giving Sr. Patricia a chance to explain herself again, in a spirit of dialogue, could she be given a chance to stay and continue serving our people?

We continue to pray for the Lord’s enlightenment for all those who are involved in this case, but in particular, we continue to pray for Sr. Patricia Fox – for her health and wellbeing.

From the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, 26 April 2018

The Commission on Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Manila will hold a film festival on World Communications Day.

Faith Lens 2018 is the first Archdiocesan Film Festival organized by the Social Communications Ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila that aims to utilize the technical skills and develop the creativity of the SOCOM ministers using a professional or cellular phone camera as well as to promote Catholic faith and values in one minute.

The festival is open to all the members of the Social Communications Ministry of parishes in the Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Manila.

Faith Lens 2018 is a one minute video making contest that dwells on the theme used by Pope Francis in his message for the World Communications Sunday 2018, “The truth will set you free’ (John 8:32), Fake News and Journalism for Peace.”

Interested participants are requested to send via email their letter of intent at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. from April 10-22, 2018. All entries must be original and have not been submitted or exhibited previously in other similar contests.

The participating parishes are allowed to make use of any kind of production equipment, be it mobile phone, DSLR, or any type of video camera and any kind of editing software to produce entries. Predominant use of visuals and/or image and minimal dialogue are highly encouraged.

All participants are also requested to submit at the Office of Communications a poster promoting the video entry (.PNG for the format, 600 x 749 pixels for the size) and an endorsement letter signed by the Parish Priest endorsing the video entry.

The deadline line for submission of entries is on May 4, 2018.

All entries will be judged based on the following criteria: Technical Aspect (25%), Relevance to the theme (25%), Concept (25%), and Doctrinal Soundness / Faith impact (25%), for a total of 100%.

There will be three proclaimed winners: Best Video, First Runner-Up, and Second Runner-Up for Best Video.Special Awards will also be given to the following: Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editor, and Best Poster Design.

For the Best Poster Design Award, promotional posters of video entries will be uploaded on May 5, 2018 on the Facebook Page of the Archdiocese of Manila - Office of Communications.Tallying of valid reactions garnered only on the posts found on the said Facebook Page will end on May 7, 2018 at 12:00 NN.

The announcement of winners will be on May 12, 2018 in line with the celebration of World Communications Day, held annually on the Sunday before Pentecost, falling this year on May 13, 2018. The winning film entries will also be shown at the awarding ceremony to be held at the Arzobispado de Manila from 1 to 5 in the afternoon.

In his message for the World Communications Day, His Holiness Pope Francis called on the faithful to promote a “journalism for peace” in response to the worldwide spread of fake news.

“I would like, then, to invite everyone to promote a journalism of peace. By that, I do not mean the saccharine kind of journalism that refuses to acknowledge the existence of serious problems or smacks of sentimentalism. On the contrary, I mean a journalism that is truthful and opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans, and sensational headlines. A journalism created by people for people, one that is at the service of all, especially those – and they are the majority in our world – who have no voice. A journalism less concentrated on breaking news than on exploring the underlying causes of conflicts, in order to promote deeper understanding and contribute to their resolution by setting in place virtuous processes. A journalism committed to pointing out alternatives to the escalation of shouting matches and verbal violence,” said Pope Francis. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Manila Cathedral will hold the first public veneration of the Blood relic of St. John Paul II on Saturday, April 7, 2018 after the welcome mass to be presided by His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila.

The Blood relic of the saintly pope was unveiled during a press conference on Thursday, April 5 at the Pope Francis Hall of Manila Cathedral.

Fr. Reginald Malicdem, rector of Manila Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception said in his statement that the Blood relic was given by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, former secretary of the Pope after they wrote to the Vatican and requested for relics of three important Popes who were recently beatified and canonized in preparation for the cathedral’s 60th year anniversary of rebuilding after the Second World War.

According to Father Malicdem, Cardinal Dziwisz sent the vial of blood through Sr. Nancy Banares, a Filipina nun of the Sisters of the Visitation who is the superior of the community in Bolechowice, Poland, and came with a personal letter to Cardinal Tagle and an authentication certificate of the relic.

According to Father Malicdem, the blood is in a liquid state because of an anti-coagulant substance that is present in the test tubes at the moment of extraction. The blood was extracted from the pope during an emergency transfusion near the end of his life due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.

There are seven vials of this pope’s liquid blood enshrined in different churches around the world: St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, the Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital, a pilgrim relic that belongs to the Postulator of the Cause of the Pope, the John Paul II Center in Krakow, Poland, theu National Shrine and Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C., St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Cherash, Malaysia, and the Manila Cathedral in the Philippines.

After the welcome Mass, Father Malicdem said they will be distributing prayer cards or stampita of the saint to those who will go the cathedral.

The veneration of the blood relic of St. John Paul II is open to public on Sunday, April 8 from 6 am to 8 pm.

Precious Gift

In his statement, Father Malicdem also regard the blood relic of the pope as a “precious gift” that gives comfort to the people especially for those who are suffering from physical illness.

“This precious gift of John Paul II's blood relic is truly a source of consolation and help especially for those who are suffering physical illnesses. Let St. John Paul II, who himself endured courageously his sickness, be the companion and intercessor in their journey.”

“Let those who have special intentions and petitions come in veneration and prayer, because we are assured that our beloved John Paul II is now in the home of the Father, interceding always on our behalf.”

Pope’s message during 1995 World Youth Day reverberates

According to father Malicdem, the presence of the blood relic of St. John Paul II reminds the faithful of the pope’s message during the 1995 World Youth Day for us to become instruments of evangelization.

Father Malicdem stressed that the same message reverberates even up to this present time.

“We are called to live out the vocation to love and be in solidarity with our fellow human beings, to defend the inalienable dignity of human life, and to witness to the love of Jesus in the midst of the realities and needs of our times.”

Proper Decorum

During the press conference, Father Malicdem noted that they will not restrict the faithful who will take their selfies especially now that we live in the digital age where social media becomes one of the platforms for evangelization. Instead, the priest encouraged the faithful to behave and be respectful while venerating the blood relic.

The exhibit showcases various photos of the Traslacion or the Feast of the Black Nazarene that is celebrated every 9th of January.

The exhibit tells the story of the passion and suffering of Christ which many devotees relate their poverty and struggles. It also tells the devotees' stories of faith, hope and love that transcend from one generation to another. These stories touch the hearts and affect the lives of the people.

Apart from the stories of faith, the exhibit also shows the story of Evangelization from the time of the preaching of Christ to this present day.

The exhibit will run from April 1 – 8, 2018 from 8 am to 5 pm at the fourth floor of Benedict building, Quiapo Manila. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle washed the feet of Fr. Teresito “Chito” Soganub, the priest that was hostaged for 116 days by the Maute group in Marawi City in May 2017.

Fr. Soganub was one of the twelve persons whose feet were washed by Cardinal Tagle during the Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday, March 29 at the Manila Cathedral.

The Washing of the Feet is part of the Liturgy of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper during Holy Thursday. It is a powerful symbol of humility and love of Christ when he himself washed the feet of his twelve apostles.

Fr. Soganub became emotional and was seen wiping his tears when Cardinal Tagle began washing his feet. According to him, he was deeply touched knowing that the Church, through Cardinal Tagle and Pope Francis, cares and looks after the situation of those who are victims of conflicts and are experiencing hardships like the migrants and refugees.

Cardinal Tagle also washed the feet of Mr. and Mrs. Crisanto and Eva Demafelis, the parents of the overseas Filipina worker in Kuwait who was found dead in a freezer.

He also washed the feet of the following people:

• Mr. and Mrs. Irfan Masih and Shazia Irfan, who sought refuge in the Philippines because of religious persecution in their homeland.

• Mr. and Mrs. Danilo and Janet Pelayo, with their daughter, Danica, a family relocated from their home in Paco, Manila to Cabuyao Laguna.

• Isidro Indao and Kaylo Bontolan, both Lumad leaders who fled their homelands because of massive militarization and destruction by logging and mining companies.

• Mr. and Mrs. Giovanni and Yolicres Badidles, who serve the country through the Philippine Navy.

The washing of the feet of 12 persons, representing the twelve apostles whose feet were washed by Christ during the Last Supper, was also an act of oneness with the Share the Journey campaign of His Holiness Pope Francis, that calls all Catholics to show love and care, and walk with suffering people particularly with the migrants, refugees, persecuted, and the victims of war, slavery, and injustices. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

This photo was taken during the Washing of the Feet in 2016 held at the Manila Cathedral.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle will wash the feet of migrants, refugees, and displaced people on March 29, Holy Thursday.

Cardinal Tagle who is also the President of Caritas Internationalis continues to advocate the call of Pope Francis in his New Year message to look after the situation of migrants and refugees whom he calls “men and women in search of peace.”

The Washing of the Feet is part of the Liturgy of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper to be held at the Manila Cathedral at 5 pm.

This year, the Manila Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception has posted in their Facebook account the list of the twelve people representing the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ whose feet will be washing by Cardinal Tagle. They are the following:

• Mr. and Mrs. Crisanto and Eva Demafelis, parents of Joanna Demafelis, the Filipina OFW in Kuwait who was found dead in a freezer.

• Mr. and Mrs. Irfan Masih and Shazia Irfan, who sought refuge in the Philippines because of religious persecution in their homeland.

• Mr. and Mrs. Danilo and Janet Pelayo, with their daughter, Danica, a family relocated from their home in Paco, Manila to Cabuyao Laguna.

• Isidro Indao and Kaylo Bontolan, both Lumad leaders who fled their homelands because of massive militarization and destruction by logging and mining companies.

• Mr. and Mrs. Giovanni and Yolicres Badidles, both came from the Philippine Navy

• Fr. Teresito “Chito” Soganub, a priest from the Prelature of Marawi, has worked tirelessly for the Christian dialogue in Mindanao.

It was at the Last Supper that Jesus washed the feet of his apostles. It reminds the faithful that as disciples of Christ we are called to serve others in a spirit of humility.

Cardinal Tagle will also preside at other liturgical services at the Manila Cathedral during the Holy Week: Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, 6 am and Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 5 pm; Good Friday, March 30, 3 pm; and Easter Vigil on Black Saturday, March 31, 8 pm. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle will lead the faithful of the Archdiocese of Manila in the Holy Week activities at the Manila Cathedral.

Cardinal Tagle will preside at the Palm Sunday Mass on March 25 at 7 am. Palm Sunday is the last Sunday of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week. It commemorates Christ’s arrival at Jerusalem a few days before he was crucified. Cardinal Tagle will bless the palms of the people at Plaza Roma in front of the Cathedral. It will be followed by the procession of the people and the main celebrant into the church and will serve as the entrance rite of the Mass.

At 7 in the morning of Holy Thursday, March 29, Cardinal Tagle will preside at the Chrism Mass, “one of the principal expressions of the fullness of the Bishop’s priesthood.” During this Mass, all the priests of the archdiocese of Manila gather at Manila Cathedral to signify unity. The chrism or holy oil is also blessed during the Mass.

At five in the afternoon, Cardinal Tagle will again preside at Mass commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his apostles. The Manila prelate will also wash the feet of 12 laypeople symbolizing Christ’s humility when he washed the feet of his apostles.

On March 30, Good Friday, there will be Station of the Cross at 8:30 in the morning while the Seven Last Words will start at 12 noon. The Mass for the Commemoration of the Lord's Passion will start at 3 pm. The celebration is consisted of three parts, namely, the Liturgy of the Word, the Veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion.

The Holy Father Pope Francis has appointed Msgr. Louie Galbines as new Bishop of the Diocese of Kabankalan, Negros Occidental. The appointment was made to public in Rome Monday, March 12, 2018.

Msgr. Galbines, 51, is currently the Vicar General of the Diocese of Bacolod. He will replace Bishop Patricio Buzon who was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Bacolod in 2016 following Bishop Vicente Navarra's retirement.

He was born on November 18, 1966 in Aliwanag, Sagay, Negros Occidental.

He completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in España, Manila and was ordained priest for the Diocese of Bacolod on April 29, 1994.

He also studied at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas where he obtained a licentiate and doctorate in sacred theology from 1997-2001.

Bishop-elect Galbines served as deputy dean and spiritual director at the Sacred Heart Seminary, Bacolod City in 1994 and became chancellor and secretary of the diocesan Curia of Bacolod from 1994-1996.

He held various positions upon returning to his homeland such as: treasurer and collaborator of the Episcopal Conference of the Philippines (2001-2006); vice-president and subsequently president of the diocesan Commission for the Clergy as well as parish vicar of the Saint Sebastian parish of Bacolod City (2007-2012).

In 2012 he became rector of the Sacred Heart Seminary of Bacolod City and, in 2013, vicar general of the same diocese. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle has asked the faithful to support Alay Kapwa, an annual Lenten evangelization and fundraising program of the Catholic Church that supports the social services for the poor and in need especially during times of disaster.

“During this season, we are especially called upon to exercise charity in our dealings with our neighbor – that is to say, to have a genuine concern for those who are needy and who suffer, and to perform concrete good works. Charity, after all, is the very heart of Christian life,” Cardinal Tagle said in his pastoral letter.

In response to Cardinal Tagle’s call to be more generous as we open our hearts to the poor people especially this season of Lent, Caritas Manila and Radio Veritas (Veritas 846) will conduct an Alay Kapwa Telethon.

With the theme “Renewed-Servant Leadership for New Evangelization towards Living out the Spirituality of Alay Kapwa”, the telethon will be held on Holy Monday, March 26, 2018 from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm at Radio Veritas 846 and livestreamed at www.veritas846.ph.

The funds raised during the Alay Kapwa Telethon will be used to fund the programs of Caritas Damayan, Caritas Manila’s program for disaster prevention, mitigation and emergency relief in times of natural and human-caused calamities.

Last year, the funds raised during Alay Kapwa were used to provide assistance to about 14,732 families nationwide among those were emergency relief assistance to victims of the Surigao earthquake, the typhoons Urduja and Vinta, various fire disasters in Metro Manila, and the relief and ongoing rehabilitation efforts in Marawi.

Cardinal Tagle also encouraged the faithful to support the special collection of all the parishes and dioceses all over the country on March 25, Palm Sunday.

For inquiries, you can call Caritas Manila at 562-0020 loc 118 or 254-5519 and look for Mr. Rye Zotomayor. You may also reach them through e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Social Communications Ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila held a half day assembly for members of the media ministry of parishes last March 3, 2018 from 1 to 5 p.m.

About 100 members of the Social Communications Ministry of parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila attended the gathering at the Arzobispado de Manila in Intramuros.

The assembly focused on the various activities prepared by the SOCOM Ministry for the ministers and their parishes as well as how the ministry can maximize the use of social communications in Evangelization.

Paingayin ang “Good News”

In a world where there is proliferation of “Bad News”, Fr. Joselito Buenafe, First Commissioner of Social Communication of the Archdiocese of Manila, Vice President for Administration of TV Maria and Parish Priest of Santisima Trinidad Parish encouraged the ministers to make noise in proclaiming the Good News.

“Sometimes we have been too quiet and we have to go against the tide. We have also to proclaim and it is our duty especially as social communications ministers to be evangelizers, to inspire, and to bring Good News not just to our parish but to the whole world,” Fr. Buenafe said during his welcome remarks.

Share the stories of God’s Love

In his message for the SOCOM ministers, Msgr. Jose Clemente F. Ignacio, Vicar General; Moderator Curiae; and Commissioner, Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Manila elaborated on the development of the use of media from the time where Christ preached through word of mouth to this day and age.

According to Msgr. Clem, though media has progressed, the message of Christ’s love does not change. Christ love is expressed through the same stories of the faithful’s daily life.

He also expressed his joy for the number of SOCOM ministers who attended the assembly. He considered these young people to be experts in this kind of technology and are the ones used to, to the different avenues and platforms of media.

At the end of his message, he encouraged them to re-tell the story of Christ’s love for mankind.

Fr. Roy Bellen, Second Commissioner, Social Communications Ministry; Vice-President for Operations, TV Maria; and Director, Office of Communications, Archdiocese of Manila gave a brief orientation on the definition of Social Communication while conference speaker Edwin Lopez, Managing Director of Eternal World Television (EWTN) for Asia delivered his talk on the Relevance and Importance of Social media through his inspiring stories and experiences.

Representative from the different platforms of the Social Communications Ministry such as TV Maria, Radio Veritas, CMMA, and Office of Communications gave a brief description of how their platforms work and how they can be of help to the SOCOM Ministries and their parishes.

An open forum was held after the speakers shared their insights on Social Communications.

The first SOCOM Assembly for 2018 was a collaborative effort of TV Maria, Radio Veritas and the Archdiocesan Office of Communications – Print and Internet. (Jheng Manlang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Auxiliary bishop of Manila also presided the Ash Wednesday Mass at the chapel of Radio Veritas in West Avenue, Quezon City at 12 noon.

The Lenten Season begins with Ash Wednesday to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. The priest, deacon or lay minster imposes the ash on the forehead of the faithful saying, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. The ashes came from the palms that were blessed in the previous Palm Sunday which have been burned.

Aside from fasting and abstinence, the faithful are asked to do alms giving. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Season of Lent begins this year with Ash Wednesday on February 14, 2018. In the Archdiocese of Manila, Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo, Auxiliary Bishop of Manila will celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass at the Arzobispado de Manila in Intramuros at 7:30 in the morning.

In his pastoral letter for Ash Wednesday, Cardinal Tagle reflected on the Gospel of John. He said, the season of Lent “directs us in a very special way to reflect on God’s merciful and salvific love.”

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)

This season of Lent, Cardinal Tagle called on the faithful to exercise charity to express their love to their brothers and sisters especially to those who are in need. He also asked full and active support for the Fast2Feed Project of Pondo ng Pinoy’s Hapag-Asa, a program that feeds hungry and malnourished children throughout the country.

During Ash Wednesday, the faithfuls are required to do fasting and abstinence. Fasting is required from ages 18 to 60 and abstinence is from age 14.

On this day, ashes are blessed and imposed after the homily during the Mass. These ashes came from the palms blessed in the previous Palm Sunday which have been burned. The priest, deacon or lay minister says, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”, while imposing the ashes.

The 40-day Season of Lent begins from Ash Wednesday to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. The altars are not decorated with flowers and musical instruments maybe played. In most Churches, a purple cloth is used to cover religious images. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

The Archdiocese of Manila marked the 26th World Day of the Sick last Saturday, February 10, 2018 in commemoration of the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on February 11.

A Eucharistic Celebration was presided by Msgr. Esteban Lo, LRMS of the Commission on Mission of the Archdiocese of Manila and Chaplain of the Order of Malta Philippines at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Intramuros, Manila at 9 a.m.

Aside from the Mass, the Archdiocese of Manila marked the celebration with the anointing of the sick and a medical mission.

With the theme from the message of Pope Francis for the 26th Anniversary of the World Day of the Sick 2018, “Behold, your son... Behold, your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.” (Jn 19:26-27), Msgr. Lo said in his homily that the celebration encouraged the faithful to fulfill its mission of showing love, compassion, and care for the sick, including the aged, the disabled, and the dying.

The celebration of the Archdiocesan Mass for the sick was in coordination with the Archdiocese of Manila-Ministry on Health Care headed by Fr. Manuel Abogado III and the Philippine Association Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

In his message for the 26th World Day of the Sick 2018, Pope Francis entrusted to the tender love of Mary all those who are ill in body and spirit. He also asked the grace of the Blessed Mother to help the people as they serve their sick brothers and sisters.

“We ask her also to help us to be welcoming to our sick brothers and sisters. The Church knows that she requires a special grace to live up to her evangelical task of serving the sick. May our prayers to the Mother of God see us united in an incessant plea that every member of the Church may live with love the vocation to serve life and health.” (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G cardinal Tagle asked the faithful’s active and full support in the re-launch of Fast2Feed program of Pondo ng Pinoy’s Hapag-Asa aimed to feed the hungry and malnourished children throughout the country through its supplemental feeding and early childhood education.

In his pastoral letter due for release on February 14, 2018, Ash Wednesday, Cardinal Tagle said, “We are called to love God, and our love for God is best expressed by the love we have for our brothers and sisters”.

Cardinal Tagle also pointed out the importance of charity especially during this season of Lent. Charity, according to him is the “very heart of Christian life”.

“In this season of Lent, we are especially called upon to exercise charity in our dealings with our neighbor – that is to say, to have a genuine concern for those who are needy and who suffer, and to perform concrete good works,” he said.

Fast2Feed campaign is the flagship program of Pondo ng Pinoy’s Hapag-Asa that aspires to combat the growing problem of hunger and malnutrition among children in the country. The program feeds hungry and malnourished children with nutritious food, six months to 12 years, once a day, five times a week for six months.

The program also encourages the people to fast during the season of Lent and to donate the money they save to feed the children.

Hapag-Asa was able to feed about 2 million hungry and malnourished children from Pondo ng Pinoy dioceses and other Dioceses, Non-Government Organizations (NGO), Local Government Units (LGU) and Schools since it started in 2015.

Last year, the campaign was able to help 18,000 children from all over the country.

Aside from their Supplemental Feeding Program, Hapag-Asa has been providing the children with early childhood education. It has also strengthened the values education, livelihood components and skills training of the children’s parents.

According to Cardinal Tagle, “It only takes Php 1,200.00 for six months-or Php 10.00 per day to bring back a hungry and undernourished child to a healthy state.”

In his circular to his priests in the archdiocese, Cardinal Tagle said that a Fast2Feed 2017 Fund Campaign envelopes will be distributed to parishes and schools. He encouraged the faithful to offer the Fast2Feed envelope with their donation during the mass, or to turn it over to the parish office any day after Ash Wednesday. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)

He also requested the priests to read his pastoral letter in all masses on Ash Wednesday.

At the end of his letter, Cardinal Tagle said that through the program of Hapag-Asa, “we are not just responding to immediate emergencies, but also contributing to the achievement of a just society.”

His Holiness Pope Francis will launch Caritas Internationalis’ “Share the Journey”, a worldwide campaign on migration during his General Audience at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. Rome time (4:30 p.m. in Manila).

The “Share the Journey” campaign is an invitation of the Holy Father to peoples and communities to “reach out” to migrants and refugees. It will promote opportunities and spaces for migrants and communities to come together and share stories and experiences. It also aims to strengthen the bonds between migrants and communities.

His Holiness Pope Francis has named Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia as the new Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, the Vatican announced on Tuesday, September 12, 2017 at 12 noon (6pm, Manila time).

Caccia, 59, succeeds Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto who was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Croatia.

His Holiness Pope Francis has named Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia as the new Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, the Vatican announced on Tuesday, September 12, 2017 at 12 noon (6pm, Manila time).

Caccia, 59, succeeds Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto who was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Croatia.

The Katolikong Pinoy Formation Series for the month of September will focus on the topic Love: Bridge of Communion, Unity: Way of Being a Community (Pag-ibig: Tulay ng Ugnayan, Pagkaka-isa: Daan ng Pamayanan). The formation will be held on September 16, 2017 at the Lay Formation Center, San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex, EDSA Guadalupe, Makati City from 8 am to 12 noon. The guest speakers will be Rev. Fr. Carlo Magno S. Marcelo, Director of the Commission on Music in Liturgy of the Archdiocese of Manila and Engr. Carlito Villaraza of the Focolare Movement. Admission is free. Katolikong Pinoy Formation Series will be aired live in Radio Veritas and Cignal cable TV channel 313. It will also be shown on TV Maria on Dream Channel 1, Sky Cable channel 201, Global Destiny Channel 96. The 2017 Katolikong Pinoy Formation Series is a year-long activity of the Lay Formation Center (LAYFORCE) program of the Archdiocese of Manila with the theme, “Year of the Parish: Pagkakaisa sa Pagkakaiba-Iba: Sandigan ng Pamayanan.” The talks are held every third Saturday of the month from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Lay Formation Center, San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex, EDSA Guadalupe, Makati City. Admission is free.

The Archdiocese of Manila will open the Fifth Season of Creation with a “Walk for Creation” and will mark the 2nd World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation at the Burnham Green, Luneta Park on September 1, 2017 from 4 am to 8 am.

Theme for this year’s celebration is “Caring for Our Common Home in Communion with Communities.”

The Ministry of Ecology/Environment and Disaster Response of the Archdiocese of Manila is inviting all the young catholic Filipinos to join the on-the-spot logo making contest on September 1, 2017 at the grounds of Plaza Roma in Intramuros, Manila from 8 am to 4pm.

The contest which aims to promote a deepened awareness of the significance of caring for our common home is part of the series of activities in celebration of the 5th Season of Creation.

Delegates of the Fourth Philippine Conference on New Evangelization who attended the New Media workshop were encouraged to be the salt of the earth and light of the world as they take part in building a communion of one heart and soul.

Fr. Roy Bellen, Second Commissioner of the Social Commissions Ministry and Director of the Office of Communications of the Archdiocese of Manila delivered this message to the delegates on how powerful the use of new media is.

This was the message conveyed by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle during his homily for the Misa ng Sambayang Pilipino that opened the Fourth Philippine Conference on New Evangelization on Friday, July 28, 2017.

In his visit, Cardinal Tagle received a warm reception from its director, Wael Suleiman and was also welcomed by the different members and staff of Caritas Jordan who are dedicated in serving their poor brothers and sisters.

To promote a community that will bring its members closer to the Lord through sports, Radio Veritas, the number one faith-based AM radio in the Philippines organized the first inter-church institution Olympics.

The high-spirited event was held at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City on Saturday, July 8, 2017.

A high spirited vibe surrounded Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City where the first Inter-Church Institution Olympics was held.

The whole-day Olympics was held on Saturday, July 8, 2017 with the aim to develop unity, cooperation, sportsmanship and fellowship among members of the church institutions as well as to enhance their skills and talents in sports.

The Young Adult Ministry (YAM) of the Archdiocese of Manila will hold a fellowship titled, “Sounds and Stories: The Remix” on Saturday, July 15, 2017 at the Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish in Makati at 7:30 p.m.

With the aim of promoting good relationship with one another, the YAM fellowship also aspires to create a strong, united and caring community of young people whose values in life are rooted and centered in Christ.

During the fellowship, young people are encourage to share their stories in a creative way and be able to express themselves through songs, prose and spoken poetry.

The Young Adult Ministry is under the Archdiocesan Commission on Youth headed by Fr. Ramon Jade Licuanan as its Director.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle puts emphasis on communion of communities as he answered a question on the attempt of extremists group to use the crisis in Marawi City to heat up fight between the Muslims and Catholics during the press conference of the Fourth Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE4).

His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, D.D., Archbishop of Manila and Most Reverend Giuseppe Pinto, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines will lead the faithful in the celebration of Pope’s Day through a Eucharistic Celebration on Thursday, June 29, 2017, Solemnity of St. Peter and Paul at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral) at 6 pm. The Church celebrates Pope’s Day in honor of the Supreme Pontiff’s many contribution to the enrichment of Catholic faith. The Pope who is the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church has a duty to strengthen the union of the faithful in the Church and with Christ. Pope’s day is also celebrated through confession and recitation of the Holy Rosary. In some countries, the writings about the Pope are distributed on the street while others prepare talks, forum and video presentation showcasing the spiritual leadership of the Holy Father.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, D.D. celebrated his 60th birthday on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga with a Thanksgiving Mass at the Manila Cathedral.

At the beginning of the Mass, Cardinal Chito as he is fondly called by his brother priests, thanked the Lord for his 60th birthday.

“Today, I thank the Lord for the gift of 60 years. I stand by the commitment to love God and others always by the grace of God. God is my joy in every circumstance of my life, knowing that He works all things out, always for the good of all.”

He also remembered in a special way the 12th death anniversary of the late Jaime Cardinal L. Sin by blessing the archbishop’s tomb at the crypt of the Manila Cathedral.

“Today we remember Cardinal Jaime Sin whose pilgrimage of life and ministry led to union with the Son, encountering the never ending day twelve years ago on the same day.”

During the Mass, Cardinal Tagle was joined by his parents Manuel Sr. and Milagros and brother Manuel Jr.

Also present during the Holy Eucharist were Archbishop-Emeritus of Manila Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop John Du of Palo, Leyte, Bishop-Emeritus of Caloocan Teodoro Bacani, Vicar-Emeritus of the Apostolic Vicariates of Puerto Princesa, Bishop Pedro Arigo, Bishop Rey Evangelista of Imus, and Bishop Ambo David of Caloocan.

The Mass was also attended by His Eminence Cardinal Wilfred Fox Napier, OFM and Bishop Jose Luis Ponce de Leon of Swaziland, both from South Africa.

Former President of the Philippines Benigno Aquino III and his sisters Ballsy Aquino-Cruz and Viel Aquino-Dee were among the guests who attended and greeted the Cardinal.

Drug detainees from Sanlakbay sa Pagbabagong Buhay and beneficiaries from Tulay ng Kabataan were also present in the Mass and gave birthday cards to the Cardinal.

After the Holy Eucharist, Cardinal Tagle invited his family, friends, brother priests and all those who attended the Mass to a simple reception at the Arzobispado de Manila.

Before Cardinal Tagle went to the Manila Cathedral to celebrate Mass, he was greeted by the employees of the Archdiocese of Manila. The employees danced with the Cardinal while Karakol music was being played.

Earlier, the Archdiocese of Manila also held its tenth consecutive year of conducting a bloodletting activity as a birthday gift to the Archbishop of Manila.

A total of 52 bags were collected from the donors from the schools, parishes, and employees of the Archdiocese of Manila. A few employees from the Social Security System (SSS) Recto and San Mateo branch also donated blood.

The bloodletting drive was organized by the Human Resource Department (HRD) of the Archdiocese of Manila in coordination with the Philippine Red Cross.

Data from the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) state that, 118-units of blood are required per hour or 2,832 blood units per day and 1-million blood units per year in the country but only 771,000-blood units were collected last year.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, D.D. led the Funeral Mass for Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak, D.D. of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines on June 22, 2017.

The Funeral Mass was held at the St. Ignatius Cathedral at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City attended by the family and friends of bishop Tumulak, clergy, religious, officials and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the faithful.

In his homily, Cardinal Tagle told that he had the opportunity to visit bishop Tumulak in the hospital. He also had the chance to have a short conversation with the bishop who does not lose his love, realism and simplicity.

Cardinal Tagle also shared bishop Tumulak’s request to have a photo with him together with the bishop’s family.

“Your Eminence, can I have a favor nandito ang family ko puwede po bang magpapicture-taking. (nagkatawanan) On that note I said, wow! If this is goodbye, he did not lost his sense of humanity and his sense of humor even,” Cardinal Tagle said.

After the Funeral Mass, the remains of Bishop Tutulak was taken to the Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Pasay City.

Bishop Tumulak died of pancreatic cancer on Saturday, June 17 at age 72. He is from Santander, Cebu. He was ordained priest on 1972 and became bishop on 1987. On 1992, he became bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran.

He was serving as the Chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (CBCP-ECPPC) at the time of his death and former Chairman of CBCP-Episcopal Committee on the Cultural Heritage of the Church.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle leads the faithful in the celebration of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) on June 18, 2017 at Santa Cruz Church, Manila.

This year, the celebration is aligned with the theme of the Year of the Parish as Communion of Communities. The Pastoral Exhortation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), "Parishes as Wellspring of Mercy and Renewal" states that "Parishes and communities will be renewed by living the Eucharist whom we receive every day. The Eucharist is the poverty of Jesus disturbing the complacency of the wealthy; it is the wealthy sacrificing house, family, and fortune to lift up the poor from their poverty. It is the Word of God inviting the confused, the lonely, the bored, the suffering to the joy of the Gospel.”

The celebration will be highlighted with the procession from Santa Cruz Parish to the Manila Cathedral at 4:00 p.m.

The preceding activities on that day will start with the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament followed by a talk on “Pamayanang Nabubuhay sa Katawan at Dugo ni Kristo, Daluyan ng Biyaya Para sa Mundo” by Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David of the Diocese of Caloocan at 2:10 p.m.

Cardinal Tagle will preside at the Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi at 3 p.m. The Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament follows the procession to Manila Cathedral.

Corpus Christi is a Catholic feast celebrated on the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday (60 days after Easter. It is the transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ during consecration in the Holy Eucharist.

Cardinal Tagle, who is also the President of Caritas Internationalis, visited the survivors of the calamity and celebrated Mass at the St. Micahel the Archangel Parish in Basey, Samar in the Diocese of Calbayog on June 1. The Holy Eucharist was attended by the survivors, bishops, members of the different Social Action Centers of different dioceses, and representatives from various organizations of Caritas Internationalis.

The Social Communications Ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila held a half day conference for members of the media ministry of parishes last May 27, 2017 8 am to 12 noon in line with the observance of the 51st World Communications Day.

In the observance of the 51st World Communication Day, the Social Communications Ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila will hold a half day conference on May 27, 2017, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord at the Layforce auditorium in San Carlos Seminary Compound, EDSA Guadalupe Makati City from 8 am to 12:00 noon.

Caritas Manila opened a bigger Segunda Mana Outlet in Farmers Cubao in Quezon City on May 11, 2017.

Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual, President of Caritas Manila led the blessing and opening of the outlet. He was assisted by Caritas Manila Board of Trustees member, Mr. Luis Vera, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City, Ambassador to the Holy See Mercy Tuazon, and Segunda Mana benefactor Nena Prieto.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle will lead the faithful in the celebration of the Silver Jubilee of Our Lady of Fatima Parish through the Holy Eucharist on Saturday, May 13 at Sgt. Mariano, Pasay City at 6 p.m.

The Archdiocese of Manila Ministry on Ecology along with its partner government, non-government organizations and other faith groups will hold a Multi-sectoral/Inter-faith and Ecumenical events called Mercy2Earth on April 22, 2017 at the Luneta Park.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle called on the faithful to look at the Risen Christ as a sign of hope in fulfilling our mission as Catholics to spread the Good News to the World. “Once again, Easter is upon us. For Christians, the Risen Jesus provides the sure hope that justice, mercy and love are stronger than evil and death. Christians share this Good News to the whole world, even to non-Christians, especially those who are suffering and at the brink of despair,” he said in his Easter message. Tagle also reminded his flock that they should not only see Christ as a sign of hope during Easter but everyday especially now that the world is enveloped with sorrow and despair. “But the hope that the Resurrection brings does not take us away from our world and our time. On the contrary, hope opens our eyes to realities of daily life but from a changed perspective,” he said. Tagle also recounted the practice of bribery in the Gospel of St. Matthew when the accusers of Jesus paid the soldiers guarding his tomb not to tell the truth that Jesus has resurrected. “The Gospel of St. Matthew chapter 28 recounts that immediately after the Resurrection of Jesus, the soldiers guarding the tomb were given a large sum of money by Jesus’ accusers so that they could spread the news that the disciples of Jesus had stolen his body. The truth of the Resurrection of Jesus was betrayed and denied in exchange for money,” he said. According to Tagle, this kind of act continues to exist today and “leads to greed, corruption, manipulation and further despair.” He also said that “it inflicts death on others, especially on those who are already marginalized.” Also in his Easter message, Cardinal Tagle said that the tomb became an instrument for the people to proclaim the good News of the Resurrection and become “bearers of hope rather than servants of gloom and despair.” “The tomb became the space for divine illumination and for angels proclaiming the good news of the Resurrection. The tomb is not empty after all. It is now the space of God to spread light and life. It is the space where the women received a mission to tell the disciples that the victory over evil and death had been won by Jesus,” he said. “The Resurrection is about the “spaces” God offers to us to live our mission. Ordinary daily life offers many such “spaces” in our homes, alleys, barangays, schools, buses, jeepneys, markets, offices, cellphones, social media as well as in our minds, emotions, and consciences,” he added. Cardinal Tagle led the Easter vigil activities on Saturday at the Manila Cathedral at 8 pm.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle expressed his admiration to the meaningful and significant production of the "The Messiah: A spectacular musical Jamaica Reggae of the greatest truth ever told” of the Missionaries of the Poor featuring Fr. Richard Ho Lung and friends from Jamaica. The show was held at Star Theater, Star City, CPP Complex, Pasay City on Saturday, March 10.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle appealed for prayers for migrants in the different parts of the world during Mass celebrating the 31st National Migrants’ Sunday on March 5 at San Jose Manggagawa Parish in Tondo, Manila. The celebration coincided with the first Sunday of Lent.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle once again urged the faithful to reflect, pray and act as the House of Representative is expected to pass the death penalty bill and is on its third and final reading on March 7.

The Young Adult Ministry of the Archdiocesan Commission on Youth of the Archdiocese of Manila will hold a team building on Saturday, March 4 at the San Carlos Seminary Gym in EDSA Guadalupe, Makati City from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

Archdiocese of Manila through Caritas Manila immediately responded to the appeal of the different dioceses strongly affected by typhoon Nina that made a landfall on Christmas evening at Catanduanes and some parts of Bicol region.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle officiated a thanksgiving Mass to celebrate the 80th birthday of His Holiness Pope Francis at the maximum security of the New Bilibid Prison in Mandaluyong City on December 17, 2016.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle will ordain five (5) deacons to the sacred order of priesthood for the Archdiocese of Manila on December 10, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. at the Manila Cathedral, Intramuros, Manila.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle will lead the launch of the Year of the Basic Ecclesiastical Communities (BEC) in a Eucharistic Celebration on November 26, 2016 at the Aquinas School Gymnasium in San Juan City at 9 a.m.

The Year of the BEC is the fifth of the nine-year journey in New Evangelization as the Catholic Church in the Philippines looks forward to 2021, the 500th year of Christianity in the country.

With the theme “Building and Strengthening of Participatory Communities that Make Up the Parish as Communion of Communities, the focus for the celebration of the Year of BEC is to be a church of communion, participation and mission as described in the Pastoral Exhortation of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on “On Era of New Evangelization.”

In his message, Cardinal Tagle invites the faithful to take part not only in the launching of the Year of the Parish but also during the year-long celebration.

The activities prepared by the Ministry on BEC formation and promotion headed by Fr. Benjie Ledesma of Archdiocese of Manila during the launching include the Keynote Address of Fr. Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, Executive Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Committee on BEC at 11:20 a.m. and the Inspirational Talk of Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo, Auxiliary Bishop of Manila at 1:15 p.m. A mission sending to be led by Fr. Jesus C. Prol, OP, Parish Priest of Santuario de Santo Cristo at 2:15 p.m. will conclude the whole day program.

The program will be preceded by a motorcade at 7:30 a.m. from St. John the Baptist parish, Pinaglabanan, San Juan City to Aquinas School.

The second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCII) defines BEC as “small communities of Christians, usually of families who gather together around the Word of God and the Eucharist. These communities are united to their pastors but are ministered to regularly by lay leaders. The members know each other by name, and share not only the Word of God and the Eucharist but also their concerns both material and spiritual. They have a strong sense of belongingness and responsibility for one another.” (PCP II 138)

As Communion of Communities, BEC members and leaders actively participate in fulfilling their threefold missions namely: Prophetic (evangelization, catechesis, gospel sharing, denunciation of social evil); Priestly (worship, liturgy); and Kingly (charity, social action),

In an article written by Fr. Fr. Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, Exectuive Secretary CBCP-BEC, he said that “BECs carry out their mission within the parish, starting in their own neighborhood, in the barangay or village, in nearby communities. They go to the peripheries in the parish and reach out to those who are baptized but not evangelized, those who are nominal or seasonal Catholics and those who are alienated from the Church. They engage in dialogue with Christians from other denominations and those who belong to other religions.”

The University on Campus of the Archdiocese of Manila, the Office for Promotions of the New Evangelization and Adamson University, will hold an Intercampus Overnight Vigil for the young people and adults entitled “Forgiven and Free – A Festival of Mercy” on November 19 to 20, 2016 from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m at the St. Therese Quadrangle, Adamson University, Manila.

TV Maria, the Filipino Catholic television channel in the Philippines, conducted its first workshop on Mobile Photography and Mobile Videography for the production team of Couples for Christ on October 27, 2016 at Manila Head Office of Couples for Christ Global Mission Foundation, Inc. The workshop is part of the Training on New Media spearheaded by